Banda Aceh – Up to a quarter of the children caught up in the Dec. 26 earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia's Aceh have mental health problems that need professional treatment, the World Health Organisation said on Tuesday.

Most of the tsunami-affected adult population is also suffering from trauma-related distress, a WHO-funded study by the University of Indonesia found.

The mental health problems are far beyond the capabilities of Aceh's lone mental hospital and so the government has decided Aceh will be the first Indonesian province to have community mental health services, said Dr. Stephanus Indrajaya, technical officer for WHO Indonesia.

Mental health problems tend to be more complex and longer-lasting than physical injuries, making this a key issue in Aceh's rehabilitation, he said.

The survey showed 20-25 percent of tsunami-affected children "had significant emotional and behavioural problems and these children need skilled professional attention," Dr. Imansyah of the University of Indonesia told a news conference in Aceh's provincial capital of Banda Aceh.

About a half-million Acehnese have been living in temporary shelter since the disaster. Camp conditions can exacerbate the trauma, Imansyah said.

Teams have been sent to various districts to enlist the support of community leaders for local mental health centres, Indrajaya said. Acehnese, like many traditional communities in Asia, are reluctant to acknowledge mental health issues, the experts said.

A 2002 survey showed many Acehnese already suffered trauma after nearly 30 years of rebellion in the province.

The Dec. 26 earthquake and tsunami struck a dozen nations around the Indian Ocean rim, leaving nearly 230,000 dead or missing from Thailand to Somalia. About 160,000 are feared dead in northern Sumatra alone.