Shashwat Gupta Ray
Shashwat@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Although our students have returned safely from war-torn Ukraine, the bitter memories of the conflict may take a toll on their health.
All Goan children who have returned home have good supportive families
However, health specialists always ask parents and children to be aware of Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In that situation the parents should create a pleasant atmosphere at home and if required promptly seek help from psychologists near them.
Mental health intervention centre Sangath has initiated a programme called #ReachOut for giving telephonic counselling through their toll-free helpline number to these students nationally who have returned from Ukraine.
“Those who experience such intense trauma, develop symptoms of PTSD. Along with it there will be anxiety regarding the uncertainty surrounding their future. They will be worried about completing their education and future prospects,” said Dr Abhijit Nadkarni, head of the #ReachOut programme.
Associate Professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the mental health specialist urged parents of these students to monitor the behavioral pattern of their wards.
“Although these are early days for these students, there is enough evidence to show that any kind of trauma is going to have a long-term impact on the minds of these students. Some of them are likely to get impacted by this,” Dr Nadkarni said.
Dr Akshada Amonkar, a senior psychiatrist and psychotherapist in Panjim, said PTSD is very commonly found among people who experience armed conflict or near-death situations.
“These students won’t be showing PTSD symptoms immediately. It will start with acute stress disorder. For some time they will be having unpleasant memories”.
Shobhika Jaju, a psychologist from Margao said that being caught in a war zone in a foreign country is by itself a traumatic experience, let alone having to constantly hear shelling, and hiding with limited food and water in bunkers or in basements.
“Different students may respond differently to what they might have been exposed to in the warzone. The most common mental health issues which these students can show may involve anxiety, sleep difficulties, depression (about what they saw and about being unclear of their careers at the moment), nightmares, social withdrawal, difficulty expressing themselves, substance usage to cope with the trauma and several such symptoms,” Jaju said.
“It’s very important that at home, parents and extended families provide a supportive environment to these students. Let’s not ask them about their future career plans, or ask them to keep sharing about what they saw on ground in the war zone,” she said.
