Mia Palacio, a student from Lahaina, has faced ongoing mental health struggles since wildfires devastated her hometown in 2023. After losing her home and moving between high schools, Palacio experienced isolation and grief. She eventually sought help near the first anniversary of the fires.
The Hawaii Department of Education reports that more than a third of Maui students lost a family member, suffered serious injury, or had a parent lose their job due to the fires. The disaster resulted in 102 deaths and damaged over 3,300 properties in Lahaina.
Therapists say that two years after the disaster, many students continue to face mounting mental health challenges. Christopher Knightsbridge, a researcher at the University of Hawaii who studies fire survivors’ well-being, said: “The crisis isn’t over.” He explained that while children may feel numb immediately after such events, ongoing uncertainty and change can take a toll as time passes.
Students like DayJahiah Valdivia from Kīhei Charter School report anxiety triggered by strong winds or small fires. Valdivia’s family was displaced for months due to soot contamination after nearby wildfires. She says her anxiety remains high during windy days or when new fires break out.
A University of Hawaii study conducted in 2024 found that just over half of child fire survivors reported symptoms of depression; about 30% likely faced an anxiety disorder; and nearly half showed signs of PTSD.
Communities affected by other disasters have seen similar effects. In Paradise, California—where the 2018 Camp Fire killed 85 people—students continued to struggle with anxiety and grief years later. Research shows that students without permanent housing arrangements often face greater academic and behavioral challenges.
In Maui, many students disengaged from school following the fires. According to a state survey taken within the first year after the disaster, about half reported trouble focusing or feeling upset when reminded of the wildfires. Some stopped attending classes altogether as they moved between temporary accommodations.
The island faces an ongoing shortage of mental health professionals—a problem that existed before the fires but has worsened since then due to burnout and economic pressures. The number of psychiatrists serving youth on Maui has dropped from four to two in recent years despite growing demand.
Efforts by Hawaii’s education department include bringing in providers from other islands and using a $2 million federal grant to support students. However, hiring remains difficult; two out of six behavioral health specialist positions in Lahaina schools were still unfilled this summer due to persistent housing shortages and high living costs on Maui.
Kimberly Lessard, a Department of Education district specialist, said five part-time mental health providers have been hired with grant funds—including one working evenings with boarding students at Lahainaluna High School—but significant gaps remain.
Valdivia described being on a two- to three-month waiting list for psychiatric evaluation on Maui: “Even just to get evaluated (by a psychiatrist), it’s literally months,” she said.
Similar shortages are seen elsewhere; Puerto Rico’s public schools continue to experience high rates of student anxiety and PTSD years after Hurricane Maria despite efforts to hire more psychologists.
Some organizations are turning to alternative approaches for support. Loren Lapow runs the Maui Hero Project, which offers adventure-based counseling services through outdoor activities combined with disaster preparedness training for teens affected by trauma.
Stigma around seeking mental health care remains strong among some communities in Lahaina. Ruben Juarez, professor at University of Hawaii who led research on fire survivors, noted that Latino teens reported the highest rates of severe depressive and PTSD symptoms while Filipino teens had some of the highest rates of anxiety.
To address these issues, Hawaii is launching YouthLine—a program training local teens to respond to crisis calls—in hopes peers can provide support where professional resources fall short.
Keakealani Cashman lost her home in the fires but found healing through cultural connections and research into Native Hawaiian practices during her senior year at Kamehameha Schools Maui. Now studying at Brigham Young University Hawaii, she plans to become a behavioral health specialist focused on supporting future generations: “This horrible, horrible thing happened to me and my family,” Cashman said. “But I don’t have to let it kill the rest of my life.”
