How wildfire evacuees in Alberta can care for their — and each other's — mental health

Like thousands of other Canadians, Jessica Pacunayen recently packed her bags and left her home as wildfires rage on across the Northwest Territories and British Columbia.

The Yellowknife resident says the last week has been a flurry of stress.

From not knowing whether to evacuate, to quickly leaving and driving 18 hours to Calgary, to now being somewhere she isn't used to for an undetermined amount of time — Pacunauyen says she's still processing everything she's been through.

"Yellowknife and the North in general are very community-oriented, and now we've kind of just split our community very far apart," said Pacunayen, who's now staying with family in Calgary.

"It's a lot. It's overwhelming and depending on your stress response, sometimes immobilizing."

She's not alone. Experts say the experience of evacuating a wildfire can have a big impact on people's mental health, but there are important ways for those displaced to take care of themselves — and each other.

Community support can minimize impact

Dr. Vincent Agyapong, head of Dalhousie University's psychiatry department, went through the experience himself when he evacuated the Fort McMurray wildfires in 2016.

"I can imagine the significant levels of anxiety, stress, the irritability, the sense of disbelief, the adrenaline rush that people may be experiencing at this particular time," said Agyapong on the Calgary Eyeopener Monday.

Following the wildfires, he conducted research to find out how wildfire evacuations impact mental health.

"We found that those who reported that they received absolute support from family and friends and members of the community were significantly less likely to experience mental health effects, either in the short term or in the long term."

Agyapong says this is precisely why it's so important for communities to rally around and support each other.

"If you know anybody that's going through this traumatic experience, it's time for you to pick up the phone," he said. "If [you're] able to provide for their needs, it's going to significantly improve their psychological well-being."

He says anxiety is a natural reaction to a traumatic event, but if it begins to impact people's ability to function, they should reach out for professional help.

Mental health resources available

Gayle Browne, senior director of texting with Kids Help Phone, says evacuating can be especially difficult because people are removed from the regular resources they typically depend on when they're in crisis.

"So you end up scrambling and trying to figure out what you can do now to support yourself and the people in your life that you care about."

She says one specific tool on their website helps people find mental health resources near them.

Young people who are struggling with their mental health can also reach out to Kids Help Phone 24/7 by calling 1-800-688-6868 or texting 686868, says Browne.

Adults can text 741741 and they won't turn people away if they call the helpline, she says. 

The Alberta government has also compiled a list of mental health and addiction support for wildfire evacuees — including calling or texting 211, which will connect people to the best support for them.