INDIGO Depression Study This depression study was based on the previously conducted global ASPEN (Anti Stigma Programme European Network-Schizophrenia) study carried out in 27 countries of which the results were published in the scientific journal The Lancet in January 2009. The second phase of the study started in year 2010, conducted at 39 sites around the…
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Psychosocial Consequences & Coping Strategies among Tsunami Survivors Natural disasters cause immense suffering among affected communities. Most occur in developing countries, which have fewer resources to respond to the resulting traumas and difficulties. As a consequence, most survivors have to rely on their own coping resources and draw from what support remains within family, social…
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National Mental Health Survey This study was Sri Lanka’s first ever island wide comprehensive mental health survey. It was carried out by the Institute for Research & Development in 2007, commissioned by the Directorate of Mental Health, and funded by the Sri Lanka Health Sector Development Project of the Ministry of Healthcare and Nutrition. The…
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Colombo Twin and Singleton Study A population-based twin register was established in the Colombo district of Sri Lanka using infrastructure designed to periodically update the electoral register. We invited a subsample from this register to participate in the project on common mental disorders, using random ascertainment. A separate non-twin sample was randomly selected from the…
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Suicidal Ideations Study Suicidal ideation can often lead to suicide attempts and completed suicide. Studies have shown that Sri Lanka has one of the highest rates of suicide in the world but so far no studies have looked at prevalence of suicidal ideation in a general population in Sri Lanka. We wanted to determine the…
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Medically Unexplained Symptoms Study Research on the management and the outcome of treatment of medically unexplained symptoms is very limited. Development of simple but effective techniques for treatment and demonstration of their effectiveness when applied in primary health care are needed. A randomized controlled trial was carried out with follow-up assessments at 3 months after…
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