Depression an aftermath of the Poso conflict<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
About one out of every eight people living in Poso regency,
\nCentral Sulawesi, are suffering from mental illness as a result
\nof the sectarian conflict there that claimed more than 2,000
\nlives between 1998 and 2001, a team dealing with the mental
\nwelfare of conflict victims said.<\/p>\n
Team head Dr. Eko Susanto said about 30,000 people out of
\nPoso's population of 239,000 were suffering from moderate to
\nsevere mental disorders, many of which were triggered by the
\ndeaths of close relatives.<\/p>\n
\"They are generally refugees who either have already returned
\nhome or have yet to go back home. Many have been traumatized by
\nnumerous incidents of violence in the past,\" Antara quoted the
\ndoctor as saying in Palu, the capital of Central Sulawesi, on
\nThursday.<\/p>\n
Eko said most of those suffering from mental disorders were
\nwomen and children who lost relatives during the conflict.<\/p>\n
He said sufferers could be found in all of Poso regency's
\ndistricts, as well as neighboring towns and regencies, including
\nPalu.<\/p>\n
He said the number of people suffering from mental illness had
\nincreased drastically because of what he called \"an act of
\nignorance\".<\/p>\n
The team is having difficulty treating the sufferers because
\nof a shortage of antidepressants and antianxiety drugs. He said
\nthe shortage was caused by a halt in the distribution of drugs by
\nthe central government to the area.<\/p>\n
\"Medical treatment is now even more difficult because the team
\nis running short of medicine. This has pushed many people who
\nwere suffering from stress into serious depression,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Eko asked the government for a shipment of drugs in the middle
\nof last year, but the request was never met. Without drugs to
\ntreat patients, he and his team can only offer counseling to
\nsufferers.<\/p>\n
However, he said he had seen significant progress as a result
\nof the work being done by his team.<\/p>\n
The sectarian conflict that erupted in Poso in December 1998
\nclaimed more than 2,000 lives and displaced tens of thousands of
\nothers, both inside and outside the regency.<\/p>\n
The conflict officially ended when the two conflicting sides
\nsigned a peace agreement in Malino, South Sulawesi, on Dec. 21,
\n2001.<\/p>\n
Separately, the chairman of the Malino Peace Working Group,
\nSulaiman Mamar, said he had assigned 21 specialists from various
\nbackgrounds to help restore normalcy to Poso.<\/p>\n
The specialists are psychiatrists, psychologists,
\nsociologists, anthropologists and religious leaders from several
\ndifferent institutions in the province.<\/p>\n
A team also is preparing to assist in handling trauma cases at
\nboth the district and subdistrict levels, to support a similar
\nteam operating at the provincial level.<\/p>\n
The work being done by the specialists is meant to help
\nresidents resume their normal lives and reduce feelings of anger
\nand revenge, which the experts fear could trigger future violence
\nif not dealt with.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/depression-an-aftermath-of-the-poso-conflict-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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