Wildfires don’t just threaten lives and property. They can also impact a person's mental health

New research from the University of Washington has found a link between wildfires and mental health. Researchers say they’ve found a significant increase in prescriptions for antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications among people with pre-existing mental health needs in the six weeks following a major wildfire.

Over the years, not much research has been done on how wildfires affect the mental well-being of those who survive them. Researchers believe it’s the first multiyear study to measure the mental health impacts of wildfires.

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Zack Wettstein, an emergency medicine doctor and lead author of the study, said the lingering mental impact of wildfires is often overlooked.

“These findings are important because, at this point, we have a lot of research that supports that wildfires have huge impacts on respiratory health, cardiovascular health, but people don't think as much about the mental health impacts, which affect all of us,” Wettstein said.

The study looked at more than 7 million people living in areas of California affected by large fires across an eight-year period of time.

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