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THE DRAMATIC RESCUE of a dozen boys from a flooded Thai cave ended a harrowing two-week ordeal that most seem to have weathered with astonishing mental and physical resilience.
Despite days trapped in the gloom of a cramped, part-submerged chamber the youngsters’ psychological state is “very good”, Thongchai Lertwilairatanapong, Inspector General of the Public Health Ministry, told reporters, adding that they were now “free from stress”.
The upbeat assessments were surprising given that the boys and their football coach initially survived for more than a week in pitch darkness on a narrow ledge — with the passing days marked by hunger and fear that they might never be found.
When they eventually were rescued it involved an extremely hazardous extraction — guided one-by-one, using underwater breathing equipment, through a series of long, flooded sections of narrow tunnel.
Despite the positive health assessments so far experts said they would all need to be monitored closely for signs of psychological distress that could take months to manifest itself.
“Their journey is not over yet,” said Jennifer Wild, a clinical psychologist at the Oxford Centre for Anxiety Disorders and Trauma.
“It’s possible after an ordeal such as this that similar cues will bring back feelings or memories from the trauma … being in the dark, being in rooms when the doors are closed, having a scan such as an MRI and possibly swimming,” Wild said via the expert database Science Media Centre.
“In the weeks after such an ordeal, it is common for people to have unwanted memories, feelings and flashbacks,” Wild said, adding that while such symptoms usually clear up after a month, any longer could indicate post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The boys are expected to spend a week in hospital in Chiang Rai and six months of psychological monitoring.
Doctors said the weeklong quarantine period was necessary to ensure they had not contracted any infections from inside the cave, but parents were allowed to visit the first group wearing protective gear on Tuesday.
But even after they are fully reunited with their families and discharged, their recovery will remain an ongoing process — especially in the short term.
“They may become fearful, clingy, or jumpy,” said Andrea Danese, a psychologist at king’ College London.
“They may fear for their safety; they may become very moody or easily upset — or, in contrast, become detached or numb,” she added.
The boys — all members of the same football team — may have been helped during their ordeal by the fact that they were already a unit rather than a group of strangers.
“The important things will be helping each other, returning to school and getting back into their community,” said Boonruang Triruangworawat, director-general of the Thai Heath Ministry’s Mental Health Department.
Wild stressed that the boy’s youth and collective spirit could also play to their advantage in terms of processing what they had been through.
“If they can view the ordeal as an unusual adventure rather than dwelling on how the event could have cost their lives, they will be more likely to have a good emotional outcome,” Wild said.
“If they focus and dwell on what could have happened, they’ll have a harder time,” she added.
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Security positions to make sure no one attempts to buy clothes.
@Jurga Moylan: that’s a government decision not Tesco’s
@Jurga Moylan: This is the most ridiculous thing. If you don’t have more than 6 weeks worth of clothes and can’t wash them then the issue is you and not the restrictions. Underwear, socks, children’s clothes and winter essentials are all still for sale in Dunnes. Everything else is nonessential.
@Jurga Moylan: there’s always someone to throw a downer on what is a positive story. Ctfo.
@KSham: My local Dunnes the clothes are all blocked off. Also, the weather has changed and children tend not to fit in the same clothes they did last winter
@KSham: I beg to differ there. U can’t buy a pair of kids socks in tesco.
Regardless, it was tongue in cheek comment but the ireland if today is too touchy Feely and sensitive to see that and just want to be offended by things.
@James Gannon:
How long have you waited to get your lingo into a comment here? “ctfo”.
That’s great news.
@Michael Clinton: Worst supermarket who treat their suppliers terribly and don’t buy and sell Irish products. I’ll be staying well clear this Xmas!
@Whoswho: Are you for real, and can you back that assertion up in any shape or form. Tesco sell more Irish products than any other retailers, and they give more back to Irish society than any other retailer. BTW I am not an apologist for Tesco, but I feel that they are an easy target for most on here, simply due to the fact that they are British.
@Whoswho: rates of pay not great and well for the rest
@The Firestarter: I know previous suppliers. Read some articles about their previous history with suppliers. Nothing to do with British. Stay well clear. They don’t support Irish produce
Every little helps!
Off the back of all the small local retailers, don’t forget the profits leave the city
@Martin Sinnott: how is it off the back of the small retailers? Are they building more? That’s hundreds of jobs for the local communities in the existing stores which is great news.
@Munsterman: Need to look deeper than that; numerous studies have shown that when big retailers enter a town or city for every job created up to 1.4 jobs are lost as smaller retailers close. Moreover, the small enterprise pays a slew of taxes whilst multinationals pay a fraction of this, employing the most creative accountants money can buy.
https://www.socsci.uci.edu/~dneumark/walmart.pdf
Good stuff.
Will they have zero contracts??
Are the jobs in Tesco Douglas? Are these not the jobs of the shop that was closed due to the fire last year. Support local and Irish. Michael Martin should be supporting local businesses at this time.
‘Displace’ is the word they’re looking for.
When will they publish accounts solely for republic?
Tesco’s idea of “full time” is a 20 to 25 hour contract over 4 or 5 days a week. The nature of these contracts give workers little flexibility to take up a second job and ensures they cannot claim anything as a casual / part time worker.
have your say