Health professionals have voiced alarm over a growing number of panic attack cases reported among young women and schoolgirls across Sri Lanka, according to Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) Assistant Secretary Dr. Palitha Rajapaksha.
Speaking to the media , Dr. Rajapaksha said medical data indicates that nine to twenty schoolgirls and seven to eight young women are admitted to hospital emergency units each week with symptoms consistent with panic attacks.
He explained that patients often experience dizziness, fainting, chest tightness, rapid breathing, numbness in the limbs, excessive sweating, and sometimes brief loss of consciousness during these episodes.
“These are typically caused by sudden and intense feelings of fear or panic that arise without a clear reason,” he said. “It’s a terrifying sense of losing control or being unable to breathe.”
Dr. Rajapaksha noted that while panic attacks are primarily psychological, medical conditions such as diabetes, thyroid disorders, postpartum changes, or ear-related issues can produce similar symptoms.
“If no physical cause is identified, there is no need to panic,” he advised. “The best response is to help the person calm down by breathing slowly — inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the lips every five seconds.”
He added that most cases can be managed through counselling, reassurance, and emotional support. Teachers and parents, he emphasized, should pay closer attention to students’ mental wellbeing, as academic stress and social pressure are common triggers.
“Children must be guided to understand that the fear they feel isn’t real,” Dr. Rajapaksha said, underscoring the importance of awareness and empathy among teachers to ensure timely support for affected students.
