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Valencian Flood Mental-Health Toll: 2,000 Treated, 887 PTSD Cases as Study Flags 27.6% Prevalence

Health leaders say the swift rollout of dedicated trauma units helped curb the surge in severe disorders.

Overview

  • Seven hospital Trauma Units have seen just over 2,000 residents from the hardest‑hit area since November 1, including roughly 1,000 with acute stress and 887 diagnosed with post‑traumatic stress disorder.
  • Stress‑related attendances in the flood zone are up by more than 170% year over year, well below the eightfold increase initially feared by regional experts.
  • A preliminary AI‑assisted telephone screening of 2,275 adults estimates PTSD prevalence at 27.6% at 11 months, with officials cautioning that the survey design may yield false positives and will be repeated in two and three years.
  • Hospital emergency visits for self‑harm among residents of the affected comarcas fell about 8–9% over the period, which Sanidad partly attributes to expanded services and staffing, including 159 new posts that lifted assistential staff by about 46% in the hardest‑hit departments.
  • Authorities detail early responses that included 13 field mental‑health teams assisting over 1,000 people and a Feria Valencia hub that saw 749, alongside school‑based early detection that has reached 562 pupils and plans for a €1.2 million Complex Trauma Reference Centre in Picanya.