PTSD the focus of Puerto Rico postmark

Postmark Pursuit by Scott Tiffney

To highlight the importance of mental health issues, postmaster Elizabeth Rivera held a ceremony outside the Barceloneta, Puerto Rico, post office on Dec. 25 offering a pictorial postmark dedicated to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The postmark was designed by Barceloneta postman Erick Declet and pictures a person sitting on the ground with their elbows resting on bent knees and head resting in their hands. The image evokes someone experiencing some sort of anxiety. A backpack is also shown.

According to the National Center for PTSD (www.ptsd.va.gov), “PTSD is a mental health problem that some people develop after experiencing or witnessing a life-threatening or traumatic event … It’s normal to have stress reactions to these types of events, and most people start to feel better after a few weeks. If symptoms last longer than a month and are causing problems, it could be PTSD.”

Events that can result in PTSD include assault, violence, abuse, warfare and its associated traumas, bereavement, threats on a person’s life or well-being, and natural disasters.

Puerto Rico has experienced significant PTSD and mental health challenges, particularly following natural disasters such as Hurricane Maria in 2017. In a 2025 study conducted by Ciencia Puerto Rico (www.cienciapr.org), researchers found that more than 50 percent of the 700 Puerto Rican participants reported suffering from some form of PTSD due to the island’s severe weather events, with 44 percent identifying the 2017 natural disaster as the source of their condition.

On Dec. 2, 2019, the United States Postal Service issued the Healing PTSD semipostal stamp (Scott B7); a total of 40 million stamps were printed. According to the USPS, sales of the stamp have totaled over 20 million, raising more than $2 million.

To obtain the postmark, extended for 30 days, address your request to:

STAND BY ME Station, Postmaster, H1 Calle 5, Barceloneta, PR 00617, Dec. 22.

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