In the aftermath of the May 16 tornado that struck parts of St. Louis County, St. Louis and the Metro East, Black residents may face a disproportionate mental health burden.
The tornado left five people dead, displaced hundreds and significantly damaged thousands of homes and buildings. Mental health professionals are urging people to seek help.
“We would go to a dentist if we had a toothache,” said Candice Cox, a licensed clinical social worker. “We take our cars to mechanics when they’re not working as they should. We go to the hospital when our bodies aren’t right. It’s absolutely OK for us to go to therapy or reach out so that we can make sure that we’re processing things and dealing with our emotions.”
Cox is the founder and executive director of KHAOS Inc., a St. Louis-based mental health organization that specializes in helping families experiencing traumatic stress. Some of her clients are Black residents of north St. Louis.
As residents work to preserve what’s left of their homes and begin to heal, many in north St. Louis say the aftermath has been especially challenging. They’ve remained on high alert as outsiders enter their neighborhoods, eyeing loose bricks. Capitalizing on trauma is nothing new, said Cox.
“When we are the most vulnerable, people are taking from us,” she said. “We already have what they call hypervigilance where we’re always waiting for the other shoe to fall. So this is further embedding the levels of trauma that we have experienced and are currently experiencing. People are taking advantage of us. People are profiting off of our pain.”
Research backs up the disproportionate impacts of natural disasters on Black people.
A National Institutes of Health study found that Black people are nearly twice as likely to die as white people during natural disasters and extreme weather events.
Studies also show strong evidence that natural disasters disproportionately affect Black people in terms of mental health outcomes, including depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Cox is also urging people to thoughtfully consider their actions and to not add stress to displaced families.
Some of the most vulnerable are young Black children. As they grapple with their own trauma, Cox said it’s important for parents to create a safe space so their kids are able to talk about what they’re feeling.
Cox emphasized the importance of acknowledging children’s emotional needs in the wake of the disaster. She encourages parents to be honest about their own struggles and to frame recovery as a collective process of grieving and building a “new normal.”
Establishing a “new normal” takes time, but it doesn’t have to be complicated, Cox said. With school out for the summer, it can be as simple as taking kids swimming, involving them in fun daytime activities while adults handle “life” — and making sure they have space to talk about what they’re feeling, whether that’s at home or in therapy.
“Get them somebody that they can talk to because right now the parents might not have the capacity,” Cox said. “They may not have it in them. If they don't, that's absolutely OK because that’s the reason why folks like us exist.”
Jermar Perry is the co-founder and executive director of the Village PATH, a St. Louis nonprofit that focuses on mental health awareness and accessibility in the Black community, particularly among Black men. He and his team are ready to have conversations with the boys in their program about grief.
“A lot of them have lost parents, and now one has lost an entire home” to the tornado, Perry said. “We’ll be ready to do some active listening and to supply families with resources because our children live right in that community. A lot of them [were] impacted.”
Depression can take several forms, including withdrawing from friends and family, sleeping more than usual and experiencing noticeable changes in eating habits and energy levels.
“Having strong social connections really helps after a traumatic event like disasters,” said Salma Abdalla, an assistant professor at Washington University’s School of Public Health. Staying away from repeated exposure to distressing tornado imagery on social media can also improve mental health outcomes.
The aftermath of the tornado has also taken a toll on volunteers who’ve spent weeks organizing and leading grassroots relief efforts. Burnout isn’t uncommon.
Abdalla encourages volunteers to be kind to themselves: “It’s OK to tell yourself you’re doing an amazing job,” she said. “Take a break. Take a few days. Take care of yourself and then go back there. We see this in the literature that people who are first responders — and I would actually think of those volunteers as first responders — that if you see it that way you will actually take care of your mental health.”
Several organizations throughout St. Louis are providing free or low-cost mental health services for people impacted by the tornado.
Organization: KHAOS Inc.
When: Every Sunday, noon to 1 p.m.
Location: Virtual group healing session
Link: https://meet.google.com/gbq-gnhj-ygb or dial: +1 314-325-6165 PIN: 877632923
Organization: The Community Reach
Location: Free virtual therapy sessions
Contact: outreach@thecommunityreach.org
Organization: St. Louis Black Metro Therapy Group
When: Every Friday in June and July, 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Location: Group therapy sessions
Contact: Ebony Smith, MA, LPC | Ebony@thetherapydesk.co
Organization: The Village PATH
What: Expanded “Therapy Access Program (TAP)” offering free therapy sessions
Contact: tap@thevillagepath.org | Text or call: 314-200-5757
Apply: https://www.thevillagepath.org/village-tap
Organization: Suite Soul
When: Every Tuesday and Thursday in June, 8 to 9 p.m.
What: Free 30-minute therapy sessions
Contact: Call 314-252-8221 or email ashley@suitesoul.com to schedule.
