South East Asia is particularly vulnerable to natural disasters. Examples of disasters that have devastated the region include the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, which affected vast coastal lands in India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Maldives and Myanmar; the earthquake in Kashmir in 2005; cyclone Sidr in Bangladesh in 2007; cyclone Nargis in Myanmar in 2008; and the earthquake in Nepal in 2015. The mental trauma inflicted by such disasters often goes unrecognised.
Epidemiological projections made by WHO show that post-disaster mental health problems range from mild distress to very severe mental health problems. Almost 20-40% of the affected populations suffer from mild psychological distress and 30-50% suffers from moderate to severe psychological distress. A minority develop new and debilitating mental disorders and those with pre-existing mental disorders need even more help than before. Evidence shows that timely provision of mental health and psychosocial support reduces the chances of full blown mental and psychological illnesses. In order to provide this support, it is important to build specific and culturally-sensitive capacity at the country level. WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia (SEARO) has been working closely with national governments to increase capacity in disaster management and in mitigating after-effects.
WHO recognizes that alongside building capacity of disaster management personnel on mental health and psychosocial support, they should also be trained to take care of their own mental health needs. Involvement in disaster management is a known risk factor for increased prevalence of various psychiatric disorders, including alcohol and substance misuse. These disorders have implications not only for specific individuals but are also detrimental to the success of the disaster management operation. WHO tools and guidelines are available to guide disaster management personnel in the care of their own mental health while deployed to disaster-affected areas.