War Harder on Mental Health than Disaster

War Harder on Mental Health than Disaster

(October 4, 2007) -- ADELAIDE, Australia (UPI) -- The civil war in Sri Lanka is causing more mental health problems and social breakdown than the catastrophic 2004 tsunami, a study found.

Study leader Daya Somasundaram, of the University of Adelaide, in Australia, said the findings are based on published data and qualitative research including participatory observation, key informant and focus group interviews.

The researchers found the terrorizing of many Tamil communities and the destruction caused by the tsunami meant many villages were abandoned and the villagers separated.

"The natural disaster was a one off catastrophic event that left a trail of destruction and loss," Somasundaram said in a statement. "But it did not continue to exert a prolonged effect. As a result the severity of the collective trauma was much less."

However, in the aftermath of war, communities suffer from mistrust, suspicion, silence, brutalization, deterioration in morals and values, poor leadership, dependency, passivity and despair, Somasundaram said.

The findings are published in the International Journal of Mental Health Systems.

Source: UPI

Last updated: 10/07

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War Harder on Mental Health than Disaster