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Tracy Hampton, PhD

JAMA. 2005;293:663-664.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

While the disastrous loss of life, homes, and livelihoods has left many survivors in South Asia grieving and destitute in the months following the December tsunami, the psychological impact will last for many years to come. Organizations from around the globe have sent mental health experts and volunteers to provide psychosocial health services for individuals dealing with emotional trauma in the wake of the tsunami, although the road to recovery remains uncertain.

A physician analyzes an 8-year-old girl’s drawing of the tsunami during a visit to treat depressed survivors of the disaster living in a village in southern India. (Photo credit: AP/Wide World Photos)

Many say the place to begin is to simply provide an ear to listen and a shoulder on which to lean. "Some people just want to tell their story, so we listen; some people feel so guilty they have survived, and we try . . . [Full Text of this Article]

MAINTAINING FAMILY TIES