Pattani bomb victims to be checked for PTSD
The government’s Mental Health Department has dispatched a team of psychiatrists to assist the victims of Tuesday’s bombing in Pattani.
Dr Boonruang Triruangworawat, the department’s director-general, said Public Health Minister Piyasakol Sakolsatayadorn had ordered a team from Songkhlarajanagarindra Psychiatric Hospital and Mental Health 12 Centre sent to the province after the blast at a Big C store injured 61 people.
Boonruang said the team would examine people who were present at the incident for any signs of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The disorder can manifest anywhere up to six months following such an experience, he said.
“People with PTSD typically suffer multiple mental-health disorders, such as emotional shock and insomnia, and can become phlegmatic and have nightmares,” he said. “I urge the victims in this attack to look for these symptoms and, if any appear, to seek advice from a psychiatrist.
“In this operation the psychiatrists will assess the mental health of the victims and screen them for risk of PTSD and provide assistance as needed.”
