6. Read and translate the text

Tsunami Help for Sri Lanka: Psychosocial Issues (Saturday, January 01, 2005)

There are many reasons why people may be distressed and upset in the aftermath of the tsunami. Some of these reasons include the following:

1. Loss of family members, relatives, friends, personal belongings including the family home and property may sadden and shock people. This may be particularly upsetting for those who have lost their entire livelihoods.

2. Exposure to horrific events. Many people have witnessed or suffered very distressing and alarming experiences, which may cause shock, confusion, anxiety and alarm.

3. Ongoing risk of danger. Even in these last few days, there have been many alarms of further tsunamis, creating further panic and confusion amongst people.

4. Physical injury and illness to self or others. This may also cause people to be alarmed or worried. They may also not be able to take care of themselves or others as well as they would like to.

5. Living in a stressful and deprived environment. Refugee camps are often places without adequate food and water. They are often overcrowded and have poor sanitation facilities. People may be stressed because they have to share personal space with people they are unfamiliar with. There may quarrels or disagreements about how to share scare resources. Some people maybe left out because they are not as forceful as others or come from socially ostracised groups. Additionally, people from different communities and social backgrounds may find it difficult to live together.

It is important to note that people are normally expected to have stress reactions at this time. These are not signs of psychiatric impact or trauma and do not require psychiatric treatment. Most people are expected to have a normal recovery in the following weeks.

Psychosocial interventions should not interfere with the organisation of food, shelter, clothing, public health services and the control of communicable diseases in the areas affected by the tsunami. Apart from early psychosocial interventions, formal therapeutic activities geared towards recovery should not take place earlier than two to four weeks after the acute situation.

Suggestions for Supporting Psychosocial Wellbeing and Mental Health

People will benefit from having reliable information about their family members and loved ones as soon as possible.

1. Set up a system such as a registry to keep track of names of people who have been found, who are in hospitals, who are in refugee camps or who have found shelter with relatives or friends

2. Have names and/or details of the system/registry so that people know where to call or contact regarding the location of their families or friends

3. Concerning unaccompanied children, the elderly and vulnerable groups such as those who have lost all or most of their family, help them to locate family members or other known people

Information about the following should be made available in uncomplicated language:

1. What are tsunamis, how and why they occur will be helpful for people to understand what has happened. However, people’s understanding and explanation of the tsunami will also be linked to their religious and cultural beliefs regarding disasters and crises.

2. Signs indicating further tsunamis, and what to do in case these signs appear

3. Where to call or contact regarding reliable information on the possibility of further tsunamis

Information about the following should be made available in uncomplicated language:

1. Ongoing efforts to establish the safety of people in the tsunami-affected areas

2. Ongoing relief efforts, including what each organisation is doing and where they are located

3. Contact names and details of people to call regarding relief efforts, if people would like to donate things, bring relief, get relief or volunteer themselves

A good guideline for uncomplicated language is if local 12-year olds can understand the information.