At 5:00 P.M. on Tuesday, January 12th, Haiti was hit by a magnitude 7.0 earthquake. This earthquake caused a massive amount of destruction, destroying most of Haiti's capital city, Port-au-Prince. According to the Red Cross, approximately one-third of Haiti's population has been affected by the earthquake, and although it is too early to obtain an estimate on the number of lives lost, many are suggesting that the number lost will be great. CNN.com has continuing coverage on the earthquake. You can access these articles here.
Natural disasters as sudden and devastating as this earthquake have the high potential to result in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). You can read more about the effect of natural disasters on mental health in these articles:
The Effect of Hurricane Katrina on Children
The Psychological Effects of Hurricane Katrina and Other Natural Disasters
