Thursday, March 25, 2010

The Mental Health Issues of the Sri Lankan War Widows

If men were the principle casualties of the War, these widows represent its collateral damage.- Ed Payne: “Collateral Damage

(March 24, Ontario, Sri Lanka Guardian) One harsh reality of the war is that the every soldier killed in war leaves behind grieving relatives. It has been a reality since the Trojan War.

The women who were left widows as a result of the Sri Lankan conflict are facing radically altered circumstances. There are estimated thousands of War widows and war-affected family members from the Tri Forces who still experience grief reactions. Many widows are in the 22 to 35 age group and with the death of their husbands; these women have become a psychologically and socially vulnerable group. Most of the women who underwent severe emotional pain still have not completely recovered. Many have become the victims of pathological grief. They are unable to work through their grief despite the passage of time. With the widowhood, they experience identity change, role adjustment and change in social status.

Sri Lanka Guardian: The Mental Health Issues of the Sri Lankan War Widows

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