Citation

Somasundaram D. Psychiatr. Clin. North Am. 2013; 36(3): 321-338.

Affiliation

Department of Psychiatry, University of Jaffna, Jaffna, Sri Lanka; University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia. Electronic address: manathu@gmail.com.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.psc.2013.05.001

PMID

23954050

Abstract

Sri Lanka has faced several disasters in the recent past, both manmade and natural. The mental health and psychosocial consequences have been felt at the individual, family, and collective levels. Individuals developed normal distress, posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, or alcohol abuse. There were changes in family and social processes causing a tearing of the social fabric, lack of social cohesion, disconnection, mistrust, hopelessness, dependency, lack of motivation, powerlessness, and despondency. Because of the widespread nature of mental health needs, a community approach would reach the most number of people.

Language: en