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Gujarat, a western state of India, is the fifth-largest state by area and the ninth-most populous with a population of 6.03 crores according to the 2011 Census. Gujarat has the longest coastline in India, about 1600 km, making it vulnerable to numerous hydro-metrological disasters. At 8:46 AM on January 26, 2001, a massive earthquake, measuring 7.9 on the Richter Scale, struck the Kutch district of western Gujarat. Over 37.8 million people were affected, as the devastating earthquake with an epicenter north-east of Bhuj city destroyed homes, schools, roads, communication systems, and power lines. One month after the earthquake, official Government of India figures placed the death toll at 19,727 and the number of injured at 166,000. Natural disasters such as earthquakes not only affect physical health but also lead to a serious deterioration in mental health by generating fear and stress as a result of multiple socioeconomic and human losses. The psychological sufferings were not only restricted to the initial damage; rather, the longstanding effect on survivors was quite evident. In order to address the mental health issues, a team from Oxfam India, ActionAid, and experts from the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NUIMHANS) conducted workshops and training programs for doctors, health workers, and representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs). They found out that 100% of school students and 75% of teachers reported symptoms of psychological problems, and 70–80% reported physical disability caused by earthquakes across more than 200 villages in the state of Gujarat. A number of studies have been conducted by professionals from Oxfam India in collaboration with NIMHANS and ActionAid India to identify the psychological problems among vulnerable populations (disabled survivors with amputation, spinal cord injuries, orphan children, widowed women & old age). Simultaneously, developed intervention modules and training guidelines to support the mental health needs of the vulnerable survivors and for the affected communities. The psychosocial support and mental health (PSSMH) interventions with the community volunteers, medical practitioners, and NGO workers showed the need and potential of PSSMH services to normalize the stress reactions and to improve the quality of life among the survivors by following a holistic model of services termed an “umbrella of care.” There were a number of advocacy campaigns to establish the rights of the survivors of disasters along with PSSMHS that added an important dimension regarding the protection of the human rights of the survivors of disasters.

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Psychosocial Support for the Survivors of the Gujarat Earthquake (2001) with Specific Focuses on the Vulnerable Survivors of the Disaster

  • 章节

  • 发表日期：

    2026年

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  • Subhasis Bhadra,
  • Lipika Pradhan

摘要

Gujarat, a western state of India, is the fifth-largest state by area and the ninth-most populous with a population of 6.03 crores according to the 2011 Census. Gujarat has the longest coastline in India, about 1600 km, making it vulnerable to numerous hydro-metrological disasters. At 8:46 AM on January 26, 2001, a massive earthquake, measuring 7.9 on the Richter Scale, struck the Kutch district of western Gujarat. Over 37.8 million people were affected, as the devastating earthquake with an epicenter north-east of Bhuj city destroyed homes, schools, roads, communication systems, and power lines. One month after the earthquake, official Government of India figures placed the death toll at 19,727 and the number of injured at 166,000. Natural disasters such as earthquakes not only affect physical health but also lead to a serious deterioration in mental health by generating fear and stress as a result of multiple socioeconomic and human losses. The psychological sufferings were not only restricted to the initial damage; rather, the longstanding effect on survivors was quite evident. In order to address the mental health issues, a team from Oxfam India, ActionAid, and experts from the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NUIMHANS) conducted workshops and training programs for doctors, health workers, and representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs). They found out that 100% of school students and 75% of teachers reported symptoms of psychological problems, and 70–80% reported physical disability caused by earthquakes across more than 200 villages in the state of Gujarat. A number of studies have been conducted by professionals from Oxfam India in collaboration with NIMHANS and ActionAid India to identify the psychological problems among vulnerable populations (disabled survivors with amputation, spinal cord injuries, orphan children, widowed women & old age). Simultaneously, developed intervention modules and training guidelines to support the mental health needs of the vulnerable survivors and for the affected communities. The psychosocial support and mental health (PSSMH) interventions with the community volunteers, medical practitioners, and NGO workers showed the need and potential of PSSMH services to normalize the stress reactions and to improve the quality of life among the survivors by following a holistic model of services termed an “umbrella of care.” There were a number of advocacy campaigns to establish the rights of the survivors of disasters along with PSSMHS that added an important dimension regarding the protection of the human rights of the survivors of disasters.