Table 1 Trauma Grid (adapted for Sri Lanka context from[19]
| Â | Negative effects | Positive effects | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Levels | Ordinary human suffering | Distressful psychosocial reactions | Psychiatric disorders | Resilience | Adversity Activated Development |
Individual | Sorrow, worries, normal grief, fear, stress, anger, uncertainty, magical thinking, psychological trauma, injuries, handicap, losses, low educational attainment | ASR, intense and extreme levels of suffering, complicated grieving, adjustment disorders, maladaptive coping, alcohol & drug (including non-prescription medication) use, somatization, help seeking behaviour, change in ideology/faith, fear of future, suicidal thoughts/behaviour | PTSD, Depression, Anxiety disorders, Prolonged Grief Disorder, Alcohol & Drug Abuse, Complex PTSD, DSH, Brief (reactive) psychosis, Dissociative episodes, Personality disorders | Independent, mature personality, adaptive coping mechanisms, flexibility, establishing and maintaining relationships, planning for their future. socialization and networking skills, entrepreneurship | Post Traumatic Growth, female leadership, empowerment, liberation, creative activities, nontraditional thinking, innovativeness, nontraditional jobs |
Family | Displacements, separations, deaths, handicap, loss of properties and structures (buildings), disappearances, orphans, single parents, family disharmony, break-up of extended family system | ASR, grief, family conflicts, domestic violence, separations, divorces, extra-marital relationships, unwanted pregnancies, child & elder abuse, poor parenting, scapegoatism | Dysfunctional family units, morbid jealousy, family pathology, child psychiatric disorders or emotional and behavioural problems among children, homicide- suicide pack | Unity of nuclear families, cohesion, extended family ties, support system, new relationships, goals and aspirations | Functional female headed households, diversity in marriages, Split families |
Community | Displacements, up rootedness, separations, destruction of normal systems and structures, dysfunctional structures & institutions, loss of buffer system, reshuffled neighborhood, depleted social capital, poverty and unemployment/ underemployment | ASR, denial, rationalization, intellectual dissonance, hopelessness, helplessness, powerlessness, herd instinct, silence, suspicions, distrust, uncertainty, breakdown of ethical and moral values, catharsis, sexual abuse | Collective trauma, suicide, mass hysteria, impulsiveness and antisocial behaviours. | Rituals, revival of traditional arts (koothu), ceremonies, remembrance observations, monuments and grave stones, social functions | Acceptance of female leadership, female empowerment & liberation, new ways of thinking and breaking of traditional boundaries, entrepreneurship, awareness of global trends, emerging new form of arts (like cinema, short films), meaningful narratives, practical (problem solving) support, micro finance schemes and economic development |
Society / Culture | Depleted social capital, dysfunctional structures & institutions, patronage, authoritarian personalities, corruption | Hopelessness, helplessness, powerlessness, silence, suspicions, distrust | Collective trauma, suicide | Rituals, ceremonies, remembrance observations, social functions, increasing tolerance about others view, culture and life style | Reduction of caste barriers, female leadership, empowerment, liberation, multi-cultural milieu, rights oriented thinking and behaviour |