Cuba’s Deepening Crisis Takes Psychological Toll as Islanders Struggle to Cope

Cuba’s worsening economic and energy crisis is taking an increasingly heavy psychological toll on ordinary people, with doctors reporting that distressed citizens are turning to them simply for somewhere to talk as daily life becomes more difficult.

Sweltering temperatures, prolonged power outages, shortages of water and fuel, deteriorating homes, limited public transportation and unreliable communications have become part of everyday life for the island’s nearly 10 million people.

The Associated Press reported Wednesday that the mounting hardships are leaving many Cubans emotionally exhausted and increasingly hopeless.