Bangkok: On 26th Dec last year the deadly tsunami waves had left over 25,000 people dead and many more homeless in a matter of hours in the Indian Ocean countries. One in five Thai tsunami survivors are still suffering effects of last year's disaster that forever changed the physical, social and psychological landscape of some areas in Thailand.
According to clinical studies and interviews, an average of 20 percent of Thai tsunami survivors are still suffering the post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with some having symptoms of depression, reported the Thai News Agency.The Thai tsunami PTSD studies were conducted by the Thailand Centre of Excellence for Life Sciences (TCELS) and the Department of Mental Health, the Ministry of Public Health, on 3,141 survivors of Thailand's Dec 26 Boxing Day tsunami, which devastated the country's six southern Andaman Sea provinces of Phuket, Phang-nga, Trang, Krabi, Ranong and Satun.
The greatest prevalence of cases is found in Phang-nga, which has suffered twice the PTSD rate of Phuket.
PTSD is prevalent in 33.6 percent of survivors in Phang-nga, 26.7 percent in Krabi, 21.5 percent in Ranong, 19.5 percent in Trang, 17.3 percent in Satun and 16.4 percent in Phuket itself, according to TCELS official Komjorn Palangura.
The study has also found a significant difference among survivors, regarding their gender and marital status. People suffering mental health problems are more likely to be female than male and more likely those who are -- or were -- married than single.
(Source: IANS)
