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Coping with the Asian tsunami: Perspectives from Tamil Nadu, India on the determinants of resilience in the face of adversity

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  • Rajkumar, Anto P.
  • Premkumar, Titus S.
  • Tharyan, Prathap

Abstract

The Asian tsunami of December 26, 2004 wreaked havoc along the southeastern coast of India and resulted in devastating losses. The high rates of long-term mental health consequences in adult survivors predicted immediately after the disaster have not been borne out by recent surveys. This qualitative study explored the psychological impact of the tsunami on survivors with a view to gaining insights into the ethno-cultural coping mechanisms of affected communities and evaluating resilience in the face of incomprehensible adversity. We conducted focus group discussions 9 months after the tsunami with two groups of fishermen, two groups of housewives, a group of village leaders and a group of young men in four affected villages of Nagapattinam district in Tamil Nadu, India. In spite of incomplete reconstruction of their lives, participants reconstructed meaning for the causes and the aftermath of the disaster in their cultural idiom. Qualitative changes in their social structure, processes and attitudes towards different aspects of life were revealed. Survivors valued their unique individual, social and spiritual coping strategies more than formal mental health services. Their stories confirm the assertion that the collective response to massive trauma need not necessarily result in social collapse but also includes positive effects. The results of this study suggest that interventions after disaster should be grounded in ethno-cultural beliefs and practices and should be aimed at strengthening prevailing community coping strategies.

Suggested Citation

  • Rajkumar, Anto P. & Premkumar, Titus S. & Tharyan, Prathap, 2008. "Coping with the Asian tsunami: Perspectives from Tamil Nadu, India on the determinants of resilience in the face of adversity," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 67(5), pages 844-853, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:67:y:2008:i:5:p:844-853
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    1. Eisenbruch, Maurice, 1991. "From post-traumatic stress disorder to cultural bereavement: Diagnosis of Southeast Asian refugees," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 33(6), pages 673-680, January.
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    1. Alisha KC & Connie Cai Ru Gan & Febi Dwirahmadi, 2019. "Breaking Through Barriers and Building Disaster Mental Resilience: A Case Study in the Aftermath of the 2015 Nepal Earthquakes," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(16), pages 1-18, August.
    2. Anto P Rajkumar & Titus SP Mohan & Prathap Tharyan, 2015. "Lessons from the 2004 Asian tsunami: Nature, prevalence and determinants of prolonged grief disorder among tsunami survivors in South Indian coastal villages," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 61(7), pages 645-652, November.
    3. A. P. Rajkumar & T. S. P. Mohan & P. Tharyan, 2013. "Lessons from the 2004 Asian tsunami: Epidemiological and nosological debates in the diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder in non-Western post-disaster communities," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 59(2), pages 123-129, March.
    4. Goulding, Christina & Kelemen, Mihaela & Kiyomiya, Toru, 2018. "Community based response to the Japanese tsunami: A bottom-up approach," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 268(3), pages 887-903.
    5. Thulitha Wickrama & Michael J. Merten & K. A. S. Wickrama & Amanda Terrell, 2024. "Adolescents’ Tsunami Exposure and Mental Health Consequences: Protective Role of Cultural Coping Strategies," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(6), pages 1-16, June.
    6. Lei Sun & Guiwu Su & Qing Tian & Wenhua Qi & Fenggui Liu & Min Qi & Ruoyu Li, 2019. "Religious belief and Tibetans’ response to earthquake disaster: a case study of the 2010 Ms 7.1 Yushu earthquake, Qinghai Province, China," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 99(1), pages 141-159, October.
    7. K.A.S. Wickrama & T. Wickrama, 2011. "Perceived community participation in tsunami recovery efforts and the mental health of tsunami-affected mothers: Findings from a study in rural Sri Lanka," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 57(5), pages 518-527, September.
    8. Devendraraj Madhanagopal & Sarmistha Pattanaik, 2020. "Exploring fishermen’s local knowledge and perceptions in the face of climate change: the case of coastal Tamil Nadu, India," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 22(4), pages 3461-3489, April.
    9. Rao, Smitha, 2020. "A natural disaster and intimate partner violence: Evidence over time," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 247(C).

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