Mental Health And Coping Strategies

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and anxiety are all realities that a natural disaster brings with itself. In 2018 and 2019, Kerala was struck by its worst weather in the form of flood and landslides. Malappuram was one among the districts affected most during the flood and landslides claimed the lives of around 60 people in Kavalapara in Malappuram. This study aimed at recording and comparing the response of flood affected and unaffected people in Malappuram district about their mental health status and coping strategies used to overcome the effect of flood in their lives. Flood affected people were found to have significantly higher amount of anxiety, depression and PTSD than the unafffected.