Impact of tsunami disaster among children

Background: The violent tsunami waves have brought about tremendous loss to life and properties of the people, particularly to the fishermen folk in the areas of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. It was seen that the impact of tsunami on the children was incredible, subsequent to the disaster. Therefore, it was felt that the extent of the impact must be unearthed before initiating any intervention. Materials and methods: The current study attempted to find out the impact of tsunami on the children. It was done during the months of May ? July, 2005 at Little Flower High School, Melmanakudy, Kanniyakumari. Through survey method 238 children from the classes sixth to tenth standard were enumerated for the study. The tools used were (1) A background proforma to profile the sociodemographic details of the children and (2) Impact of Event Scale (Child Version). Results: The age of the respondents ranged from ten to 18 years. The children suffered from multiple losses. Intrusion and avoidance was equally present among the children. Conclusion: The impact of disaster on children is substantial. Mental health professionals have a crucial role to play in assessing, planning and systematically implementing psychosocial intervention and follow up services.