Often found in high-end spas, flotation tanks have shown promise for relieving PTSDdave stamboulis / Alamy
A shipping container holding three mobile flotation tanks is en route to Maui, Hawaii, to tackle a mental health crisis caused by one of the deadliest wildfires in US history. While mostly found in high-end spas, flotation tanks have shown promise as a treatment for anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). If the roll-out is successful, fleets of the tanks could be sent to disaster zones all over the world.
In August 2023, a series of wildfires erupted on Maui, the worst of which killed 102 people and destroyed thousands of homes and businesses. In the years since, risks of depression and anxiety have been higher within wildfire burn zones, and there are fears of an unfolding epidemic of PTSD.
“Maui does not have an infrastructure to deal with a mental health crisis of this magnitude,” says Justin Feinstein, a clinical neuropsychologist who set up the non-profit Float Research Collective. “People are self-medicating. There’s a lot of alcohol use; there’s a surge in suicide and PTSD.”
On 2 May, Feinstein announced at the Embodied Minds Summit in Los Angeles that the float units would be available for free sessions for first responders and survivors of the 2023 wildfires, while also being used to collect long-term data on flotation as a mental health treatment.
