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Table 2 Distribution of war stress in the community

From: Collective trauma in northern Sri Lanka: a qualitative psychosocial-ecological study

Stress factors

Community [44] (n = 98)

OPDc [47] (n = 65)

Direct stress

  

Death of friend/relation

50%

46%

Loss to property

46%

55%

Injury to friend/relation

39%

48%

Experience of bombing/shelling/gunfire

37%

29%

Witness violence

26%

36%

Detention

15%

26%

Injury to body

10%

9%

Assault

10%

23%

Torture

1%

8%

Indirect stress

  

Economic difficulties

78%

85%

Displacementa

70%

69%

Lack of food

56%

68%

Unemployment

45%

55%

Ill healthb

14%

29%

  1. aBefore the 1995 mass displacement when the figure would have reached almost 100%
  2. bIll health due to war related injuries including amputations due to landmine blasts, epidemics like malaria, reduced resistance to infections (due to stress and malnutrition), septicemia etc. had debilitating mental effects.
  3. cOut Patient Department (OPD) at General Hospital, Jaffna