Victims of tsunami events often suffer psychological problems which can last for days, years or an entire lifetime. Survivors of the Sri Lankan tsunami of December 2004 were found to have PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) when examined by the World Health Organization (WHO): 14% to 39% of these were children, 40% of adolescents and 20% of mothers of these adolescents were found to have PTSD 4 months after the tsunami.
These people were suffering from grief and depression as their homes, businesses and loved ones were taken from them. Many still had PTSD. Periliya Village counts 2,000 dead and 400 families became homeless. These people were found to still have psychological problems 2 years after the tsunami.