Ruwan M. Jayatunge, M.D. PhD  The enduring armed conflict in Sri Lanka has led to an alarming increase in mental health disorders among former combatants, with a notable proportion of veterans being diagnosed with complex forms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Many of these individuals experience severe anxiety that manifests through a diverse array of […]

Dr. Ajith Amarasinghe and Dr Ruwan M Jayatunge Veediya Bandara rose to prominence as a celebrated war hero in the 16th century during the Kotte Kingdom, earning the title Thiruwelle Bandara, meaning “The Tiger of Kotte.” His valour and tactical acumen have solidified his place as a crucial figure in Sri Lankan history. Interestingly, some […]

Dr. Neil J Fernando / Dr. Ruwan M Jayatunge Abstract From 1983 to 2009, the Sri Lankan Army engaged in an extended conflict known as the Eelam War, which saw a significant number of soldiers deployed in combat zones for prolonged periods. This relentless exposure to warfare led to a considerable incidence of combat stress […]

Dr Ruwan M Jayatunge M.D., PhD Drug addiction is a complex condition that affects individuals physically and psychologically.  To fully comprehend this condition, it is essential to examine the interplay of biological, environmental, and social influences that contribute to its onset and progression, as well as to inform effective treatment strategies. Drug addiction is a chronic, […]

Dr. Gamini Goonetilleke, FRCS & Dr. Ruwan Jayatunge, M.D., PhD Introduction; Trichobezoars are uncommon foreign bodies in the gastrointestinal tract, composed of swallowed hair. They are most often encountered in adolescent girls with trichotillomania and trichophagia (Naik et al.  2005).  When the hairball extends beyond the pylorus into the small intestine, the condition is termed Rapunzel syndrome, first […]

Major Gen. Dr. Boniface Perera & Dr Ruwan M Jayatunge  Sri Lankan armed forces veterans participated in a lengthy and intense conflict known as the Eelam War, culminating in a significant victory in 2009. Despite this achievement, many veterans emerged from the conflict with lasting physical injuries that continue to affect their lives long after […]

Dr Ruwan M Jayatunge  The ordination of young children has emerged as a significant societal concern, primarily due to the alarming reality that many of these vulnerable individuals become targets for pedophiles. This troubling trend underscores the urgent need for government intervention to implement stringent measures aimed at safeguarding children from abuse within religious institutions. […]

Dr. Ruwan M Jayatunge M.D., PhD  The emergence of Tamil militancy in Sri Lanka can be traced back to a complex interplay of historical, social, and political factors that have shaped the island’s ethnic landscape. It reflects a broader narrative of ethnic strife, where historical injustices and socio-political exclusion catalyzed a movement that sought to […]

Professor Richard N. Lalonde  Department of Psychology York University, Canada  Shell Shock to Palali Syndrome: PTSD Sri Lankan Experience traces the history of trauma in Sri Lanka, from the experiences of a few “shell-shocked” Sri Lankan soldiers during World War II to the widespread psychological damage caused by the decades-long civil war and the 2004 tsunami.  Dr. […]

Dr Ruwan M Jayatunge M.D. PhD  Professor Gananatha Obeyesekere was a distinguished scholar from Sri Lanka, and his writings stand out for their originality and depth, offering profound scholarly insights. His influence extended far beyond the confines of the small island where he originated, allowing him to disseminate his knowledge on a global scale. Through his […]

Dr Ruwan M Jayatunge M.D. Dr. Ruwan M. Jayathunge’s recent publication, “Revisiting Gananath Obeyesekere,” holds significant contemporary relevance as it offers a comprehensive analytical examination of the influential works and research contributions of Gananath Obeyesekere, a distinguished former anthropology professor at Princeton University. This book delves into various aspects of Obeyesekere’s scholarship, including his insightful […]

Dr. Gamini Goonetilleke, & Dr Ruwan M Jayatunge The prolonged armed conflict in Sri Lanka, which lasted three decades, has left a devastating legacy of landmines that have caused severe physical injuries among combatants, Tamil Tigers, aka LTTE guerrillas, and civilians. The occurrence of landmine injuries during the Sri Lankan conflict was alarmingly high. As […]

by Dr Ruwan M Jayatunge M.D. PhD  The rich tapestry of Sri Lanka’s cultural heritage is intricately woven with mythology and legends, which serve as a profound reflection of the island’s history and identity. These narratives, passed down through generations, encompass a diverse array of tales that highlight the values, beliefs, and traditions of the […]

Dr. Ruwan M. Jayatunge M.D. PhD  Sri Lankan anthropologist Professor Gananath Obeyesekere’s book The Doomed King: A Requiem for Sri Vikrama Rajasinha delves into the life of Sri Vikrama Rajasinha, the last king of Sri Lanka, and critically analyzes his legacy. The historical portrayal of Sri Vikrama Rajasinha often paints him as a tyrant, a […]

 Dr. Umaharan Thamotharampillai and Dr Ruwan M Jayatunge  The long-term accumulation of stressors in post-conflict regions is under-discussed. Experts believe that there is a close connection between war trauma and addiction disorders. People living in post-conflict settings are at high risk of developing addictions. The trauma of war can significantly increase the risk of developing […]

Dr. Ruwan M. Jayatunge, Discussion conducted by  Dr. Manoj Jinadasa, PhD (Head of Mass Communication at the University of Kelaniya) Dr. Ruwan M. Jayatunge, M.D., PhD ( Medical Doctor and Clinical Psychologist) Dr. S Wijeyamohan ; PhD (Senior Lecturer at University of Vavuniya)  Time: Aug 15, 2025 08:00 PMJoin Zoom Meeting https://learn.zoom.us/j/96074846604?pwd=Rsp2EGSRR8INUmKuPc8K9IpIFPxKCx.1 Meeting ID: 960 7484 6604Passcode: ?NAKH9sk

Dr. Gamini Goonetilleke FRCS and Dr. Ruwan M Jayatunge M.D. PhD  The three decades of conflict in Sri Lanka left a profound impact on its victims, mainly soldiers, rebels, and civilians with numerous serious injuries. Wretchedly, many victims did not survive these injuries. Those who were wounded grappled with both physical challenges and long-term psychosocial issues, highlighting the urgent […]

Dr. Ruwan M Jayatunge and Lt Colonel Ivan Welch, PhD, US Army Combat trauma has affected soldiers throughout history, from ancient times to the modern day. The psychophysical effects of combat have been recorded since the early days of human civilization. From the time of Homer’s ancient story of the battle between the Trojans and the Greeks (1200 […]

Dr. Ruwan M. Jayatunge M.D. PhD Depression is a mood disorder that can affect adults as well as children. In general terms, depression is an overwhelming feeling of hopelessness, sadness, and lack of self-worth. It is more than a sad feeling. Depression is common among adults. Unlike adults, childhood depression is difficult to distinguish. They […]

Dr. Neil Fernando & Dr Ruwan M Jayatunge Suicide is a psychiatric emergency and needs immediate intervention. It has been recognized as a major health problem and a leading cause of death worldwide. Suicide does not occur in a vacuum; it’s a fatal outcry and a highly complex and multifaceted phenomenon. Suicide is the most […]

Dr. Ruwan M Jayatunge M.D PhD  In his book Medusa’s Hair: An Essay on Personal Symbols and Religious Experience, Gananath Obeyesekere – Professor of anthropology at Princeton University, discusses profound anthropological and psychological themes. He uses religious symbolism to explain psychopathologies that impact people and their outer society. He applies his knowledge of anthropology to […]

Dr Ruwan M Jayatunge M.D. ප්‍රභාකරන් තුල ව්‍යාථවේදී පෞරුෂ සාධක Pathological Personality traits දක්නට ලැබුණි. නමුත් මේ ගැන කතිකාවට බඳුන් වී ඇත්තේ ඉතාම අඩුවෙනි.2004 වසරේ ප්‍රභාකරන් දේශපාලනමය සහ යුදමය වශයෙන් ඉතා බලවත්ව සිටි අවදියේ දී ඔහුගේ පෞරුෂ සාධක හෙළි කරමින් කරමින් ප්‍රභාකරන් සාධකය පිලිබඳ මනෝවිද්‍යාත්මක විශ්ලේෂණයක් යන කෘතිය මම එළි දැක්වුයෙමි. එම ගවේෂණාත්මක කෘතිය මගින් […]

Dr. Ransirini de Silva & Dr. Ruwan M. Jayatunge Boredom is an underexplored but significant emotional state with implications for mental health. In the modern digital age—where attention is continually stimulated and information is instantaneously accessible—the experience of boredom may be more frequent, and perhaps more distressing, than in previous generations. Boredom is a transient […]

Dr Ruwan M Jayatunge M.D. PhD  වරක් මා විසින් ලියන ලද සිංහබාහු කථාවේ මනෝ විද්‍යාත්මක පාර්ශවය ගැන ලිපිය – Sinhabahu The Paradigmatic Myth Of The Sri Lankan Oedipusකියවූ ප්‍රංශ ජාතික මනෝ විද්‍යාඥයෙකු වන Eric Smadja මෙම ලිපිය මහාචාර්‍ය ගනනාථ ඔබේසේකර වෙත යවන්න යැයි කීවේය. ඒ මන්ද කියා මා විමසූ විට ඔහු කීවේ ගනනාථ ඔබේසේකර යනු […]

Dr. Alexandr Dovgan & Dr Ruwan M Jayatunge  Complex traumatic events are associated with armed conflict (Coventry et al., 2020), and it has a possible impact on mental health. These conflicts can cause physical, psychological, mental, and spiritual consequences for people (Moreno-Chaparro et al., 2022). Armed conflicts extinguish the social fabric and cause economic and cultural repercussions.  Moreno-Chaparro […]

Dr Ruwan M Jayatunge M.D. පාතාලය මර්ධනය කිරීම සඳහා හමුදාවෙන් පැන ගිය සොල්දාදුවන් අත් අඩංගුවට ගැනීමට ආරක්‍ෂක ලේකම් නියෝග කොට තිබේ. ඔවුන් අත් අඩංගුවට ගැනීමට ගැනීමෙන් පමණක් මේ ප්‍රශ්නය විසඳිය නොහැක. යුද ආතතියට ලක්ව සිටින සහ සමාජ විරෝධී පෞරුෂ ලක්‍ෂන පෙන්වන කොටස් මනෝ විද්‍යාත්මක සහ මනෝ සමාජීය පුනරුත්තාපනයට යොමු කල යුතුය. ඒ සඳහා දැණුමක් තිබෙන […]

Dr. Sarath Panduwawala and Dr. Ruwan M Jayatunge Metabolic psychiatry is a new field in psychiatry, and it examines mental health issues associated with metabolic dysfunction. Current evidence indicates an association between metabolic dysfunction in the brain and mental illness (Smith, 2024). Metabolic syndrome also has a huge impact on mental health. The metabolic syndrome, […]

Dr Ruwan M Jayatunge M.D. P Torture and its Psychological / Sociological and Political implications Discussion by Dr Ruwan M Jayatunge M.D. PhD (This program was conducted under the guidance of Stanford University) Link ; Torture and its Psychological / Sociological and Political implications

Ruwan M Jayatunge M.D. PhD Civilized society is perpetually menaced with disintegration through this primary hostility of men towards one another. Sigmund Freud.Velupillai Prabhakaran (1954–2009) was the leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, and he launched a destructive proxy war against the Sri Lankan government for over nearly three decades. Prabhakaran was the most lethal and cataclysmic force experienced by the […]

Dr Ruwan M Jayatunge M.D. දූෂිත වෛද්‍යවරු සීමිත කණ්ඩායමක් විසින් සිදු කරන මෙම නීති විරෝධී මිනිස් අවයව ජාවාරම  දෙවනි වන්නේ මත්ද්‍රව්‍ය ජාවාරමට පමණි. වකුගඩු මාෆියාවේ රැකවරණය සහිතව ලියකියවිලි වල සඳහන් නොකර බොහෝ වකුගඩු සැත්කම් රහසින් පුද්ගලික රෝහල් වල සිදු වන බව වාර්තා වේ. මෙම මාෆියාව නිසා මේ වන විට ශ්‍රී ලංකාව නීති විරෝධී වකුගඩු බද්ධ […]