Addressing Disaster-Related Trauma and Loss in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka has experienced a series of overlapping crises over recent decades, including prolonged civil conflict, the COVID-19 pandemic, severe economic instability, and natural disasters. These events have generated complex and cumulative experiences of loss and trauma among individuals and communities, with significant implications for mental health and psychosocial well-being. This study aims to examine disaster-related trauma and loss in Sri Lanka through a qualitative analysis of secondary data, emphasizing the interconnected and layered nature of adversity across multiple crises. Adopting a qualitative document analysis approach, the study synthesizes evidence from peer-reviewed journal articles, government publications, and reports by international and humanitarian organizations addressing trauma, loss, and mental health in Sri Lanka. A thematic analysis was conducted to identify recurring patterns related to experiences of loss, psychological distress, coping processes, and documented psychosocial responses. The analysis reveals key themes, including cumulative trauma arising from repeated crisis exposure, multiple forms of loss encompassing life, livelihood, and social stability, reactivation of earlier traumatic experiences following recent disasters, and persistent barriers to accessing mental health and psychosocial support services. These findings indicate that disaster-related trauma in Sri Lanka cannot be adequately understood as event-specific but must be conceptualized as a continuous and compounding process shaped by historical, social, and structural factors. The study reveals the need for trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and sustained social work and mental health interventions that address long-term and layered experiences of loss. Strengthening integrated psychosocial approaches is essential for promoting recovery and resilience in contexts characterized by recurrent disasters.