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An elderly Thai woman participates in a candlelight vigil on New Year’s eve for the victims

As the list of victims of the South Asian earthquake and tsunami grows to an estimated 150,000 individuals, it is crucial for rescue workers who continue to search, survivors that begin to rebuild their homes, and those following news coverage of the event to take the time to recognize and cope with the shock and stress of the aftermath, in order to minimize future mental health problems, UCLA psychologists say.

Survivors who dealt with the initial trauma of the tsunami are now faced with the grief and adversity of the aftermath. Dr. Alan Steinberg, of the National Center for Child Traumatic Stress, said post traumatic reactions to witnessing death and devastation are considered normal.

Reactions can be expressed internally; meaning the person re-experiences the event as a flashback.

Other reactions include hyper-vigilance and withdrawal from friends and family.

If reactions to trauma continue in the person for more than a month, it forms the more serious and debilitating post-traumatic stress disorder. Individuals who have the disorder may exhibit the afore mentioned signs as well as self-destructive behaviors such as excessive alcohol and drug use or suicide attempts, Steinberg said.

The long term impact is a risk of mass depression over time. “As adversities mount up, people become demoralized,” Steinberg said. This adds to the risk of developing mental disorders.

According to the National Center for Post Traumatic Stress, the effect of traumatic stress on mental health has the most impact on children who have had less experience with coping. It also has more serious effects in individuals situated closest to the actual disaster, and is twice as likely to occur in females – 10.5 percent – than in males – 5 percent.

If the inability to cope is recognized in an individual, psychotherapy or other counseling methods can be effective in treating the individual. According to the National Mental Health Association Web site, psychotherapy involves helping the survivor to manage the symptoms and to develop ways of coping.

The National Center for Child Traumatic Stress has been working on developing public mental health programs to help individuals cope with natural disasters such as the tsunami.

“After meeting initial needs for shelter and medical care, those regions need an effective mental health recovery program,” Steinberg said.

An important place to focus on, Steinberg said, is making sure school is started to establish a routine for children and to distract them from what’s going on.

Organizations such as UNICEF have plans to implement psychosocial programs in the affected areas to help individuals cope. “Recovery means rebuilding communities and providing help through clinics and this takes a good amount of reaching out,” Steinberg said.