Guided visual imagery exercises on post-traumatic stress symptoms, coping self-efficacy and post-traumatic growth among flood affected victims

Chennai, the capital of Tamilnadu, India faced the city's heaviest rainfall for more than a century during December 2015 causing devastating flash floods affecting more than 10, 00, 000 population to exert remarkable adverse impact on the mental health of the individuals, families and community in many spheres from death to disability. The study was designed to assess the effectiveness of guided visual imagery exercises on post-traumatic stress symptoms, coping selfefficacy and post traumatic growth among flood affected victims. Sample consists of 30 flood affected victims residing at the selected setting who were selected by simple random sampling techniques who attended the structured interview schedule using Modified PTSD-Checklist by Weathers F.W., Huska, J.A., and Keane, T.M, Lazarus and Folk man's Coping Self Efficacy Scale and Tedeschi and Calhoun's Post traumatic Growth Inventory for data collection. There is a statistically significant decrease in the posttest level of scores on level of post traumatic stress and statistically significant improvement in the posttest level of scores on level of coping self-efficacy and post traumatic growth among flood affected victims. The findings of the study help to understand victim's psychological responses to disasters and have practical implications for service planning and delivery to foster the resilience among flood affected victims.