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More than five thousand Gulf Coast residents are staying in shelters across Arkansas, with many others in houses and hotels. Thousands of evacuees scattered in shelters, hotels and homes across across Arkansas are dealing with the anxiety of being displaced along with worrying what they'll find when they get home. Lisa Evans and her family are from New Orleans, waiting out the storm with family in Little Rock. She's also a Psychologist and saw first-hand the psychological effects of Katrina. (Lisa Evans, Psychologist) "Depression is really what we saw after Katrina. Certainly, there's a lot of stress disorders, but really what's happening long-term is people are experiencing depression." Even though the worst of the storm is over, Lisa says evacuees are still vulnerable. (Evans) "They're still going to be extremely stressed about being away from home, some wondering about what could have happened while they were gone." Many stay on the phone--desperate for any word from home. (Evans) "There's a lot that's not under our control. Really let that go. Focus on the things you can control, taking care of yourself, getting help when you need it." And, she says while kids should know what's going on, they need to be reassured. (Evans) "Keeping them away from video of the storm, constant news coverage. It's best to keep their attention elsewhere." And, when folks to get to head back, Lisa says there will be more tough questions ahead. (Evans) "Can I do this again? Can I get through this again? Is my mental health strong enough to do this again if it happens in a week or next year? I think there's going to be some real soul searching around that for a lot of people." Lisa and her family have decided to move to Little Rock. We've heard form several other evacuees who say they're leaving the Gulf Coast as well.
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