Tunnel Collapse: Shining Light on Mental Health Aftermath

A study explores mental health issues among workers trapped in Uttarakhand’s Silkyara tunnel in 2023. About one-third experienced time disorientation, affecting sleep. The findings, published in Sleep Medicine, stress the importance of mental health and sleep interventions post-disaster. Light-dark cycle regulation is suggested to address disorientation.

In 2023, a harrowing incident unfolded as Uttarakhand's under-construction Silkyara tunnel collapsed, trapping over 40 workers for 17 days. A subsequent study published in Sleep Medicine reveals that about one-third of these workers dealt with time disorientation, leading to significant sleep issues.

Experts from AIIMS, Rishikesh, assert that disruptions to light-dark cycles are part of the cause. The trapped workers' predicament differed from conventional disasters, as it wasn't loss of property but prolonged uncertainty that affected mental health.

The study emphasizes a need for strategic mental health and sleep support in such scenarios, highlighting the importance of establishing light-dark cycles to combat time disorientation among survivors of tunnel collapses.