Acehnese may be facing mental illnesses<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
After the heartening remarks by the World Health Organization
\n(WHO) that the tsunami-hit areas in Aceh were free of epidemics,
\nthe organization announced Tuesday that mental illnesses might
\naffect about one-eight of the population of the devastated
\nprovince.<\/p>\n
\"We expect that certain psychiatric disorders will increase.
\nWe expect that people will suffer from severe depression,
\nanxiety, sleep disorders. We may also witness some increase in
\nsuicide attempts, or in domestic violence...and it might affect
\n500,000 people,\" Director of the WHO's Department of Mental
\nHealth and Substance Abuse, Benedetto Saraceno, said.<\/p>\n
Saraceno explained that the disorders might appear if the
\nAcehnese could not resume their daily and economic activities
\nimmediately.<\/p>\n
\"Psychiatric disorders are closely related to economic and
\nhealth recovery in Aceh. But mostly, they should be addressed
\nwith psychosocial responses: empowering women, children, families
\nand the communities in order to resume their resilience
\ncapacity,\" Saraceno said.<\/p>\n
According to him, the threat might increase the number of
\nsuicides in the country, which is still considered low. He
\nclaimed that the average number of deaths due to suicide in
\nIndonesia is 24 deaths in every 100,000 population.<\/p>\n
Harry Minas, director of Center for International Mental
\nHealth, added that even enormous attention on trauma healing was
\nnot sufficient to avoid the danger of psychiatric illnesses.<\/p>\n
\"We think that it will not be helpful to the community of Aceh
\nif we simply focus on the issue of trauma. Most importantly
\nhealth and social institutions, be activated, strengthened and
\nimproved. Their reach has to be extended in order to deal with
\nthis situation.\"<\/p>\n
Saraceno stressed that the WHO was not against establishing a
\ntrauma center. But the efforts should be integrated into a
\ncomplete health system, relying on community based treatment.<\/p>\n
\"Our experience in establishing trauma centers, in Cambodia
\nand Bosnia, were negative,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The man whose office was in Geneva said that there were two
\nthings that had to be done. First was to train community leaders,
\nwomen and people who were rooted in the community. Second, to
\nstrengthen health sector in Aceh, where currently there are only
\nfive psychiatrist living.<\/p>\n
A National Professional Officer for WHO, Stephanus Widjaja
\nsaid that WHO and the Health Ministry was setting up four teams
\nconsisting of experts in psychiatric therapy to train Acehnese in
\nhandling mental illnesses.<\/p>\n
\"We should be clear that there are no better persons to handle
\npsychiatric disorders than the locals,\" he said. (006)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/acehnese-may-be-facing-mental-illnesses-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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