Suicides and overdose deaths skyrocketed 97% on Maui immediately after the August 2023 wildfires and simultaneously increased 46% statewide, presumably from survivors who moved away from Maui or possibly from grieving family and friends with Maui roots, according to a study published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The study was one of the first to document the increase in Maui suicides and overdose deaths as part of a five-year effort led by University of Hawaii researchers to understand the often-hidden emotional impacts of disasters like the Maui wildfires, which killed 102 people and devastated Lahaina.

In August 2023, Maui suicides alone — without accounting for overdose deaths — jumped 182%, according to the study.

The study was led by Alex Ortega, de

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