Coping with disaster trauma : observations from around the world

Abstract

Disasters have multitude of effects on the victims; as the direct loss and damage during disasters and the indirect consequences continue for years. In the developing world disasters have colossal impact where the resources are scarce, disaster relief systems are inadequate and post-disaster long-term care is abysmally poor. Psychiatric morbidities are observed in a large majority of affected population and these often become chronic. It is imperative to study how the victims cope following the catastrophic disasters, the relation between various coping strategies and manifest morbidities and variations across disasters and cultures. This article reviews the available literature regarding coping following various disasters and summarizes the coping strategies employed by disaster victims around the world. Variations in coping across cultures are highlighted and areas for therapeutic intervention are suggested. These understandings in coping may help in facilitating positive coping and developing culture specific and appropriate intervention programmes.