title: Bereavement, postdisaster trauma, and behavioral changes in tsunami survivors.
abstract: This study examined whether the death of family members intensifies the survivors' posttraumatic stress and behavioral changes. Data were collected by interviewing 416 adult survivors from nine habitations of the Nagapattinam district in the state of Tamil Nadu in India 14 months after the 2004 tsunami. Compared to those nonbereaved, bereaved survivors reported more posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, negative affect, deteriorated mental health, adverse physical health symptoms, alcohol consumption, family conflicts, and fear. When a tsunami trauma includes death of a loved one, psychological, physical, and behavioral ramifications are especially severe.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Humanities and Social Sciences , Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur , West Bengal , India.
authors.forename: Damodar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Suar
authors.forename: Sitanshu Sekhar
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Das
authors.forename: Priya
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Alat
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001526:Behavioral Symptoms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D001601:Bereavement; D003643:Death; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D004190:Disasters; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006117:Grief; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology; D057192:Tsunamis