Natural disasters like earthquakes have the potential to seriously harm both people and property. Although many survivors experience trauma, depression, anxiety, and other mental health problems they can also have a big negative impact on their psychological health. Turkey experienced a terrible earthquake on February 6, 2023, which left many people homeless and caused extensive damage.
On February 6, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake occurred in southern Turkey, not far from Syria's northern border. A magnitude 7.5 earthquake, located about 59 miles (95 km) to the southwest, was felt nine hours after this one. The first earthquake was as big as the most powerful one ever recorded there in 1939 and was the most catastrophic to strike earthquake-prone Turkey in more than 20 years. It was centered close to Gaziantep in south-central Turkey, which is also home to numerous humanitarian relief organizations and thousands of Syrian refugees. Within 24 hours of the initial earthquake on February 6th, more than 570 aftershocks were reported, and more than 10,000 aftershocks were registered in the three weeks that followed. Over 107,204 people have been injured and over 50,399 people have died as a result of earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, which also affected 11 provinces in Turkey. Four million buildings and at least 15.73 million individuals were impacted. There were over 345,000 demolished apartments. The affected provinces' almost 2 million citizens were evacuated to neighbouring provinces like Mersin, Antalya, Mardin, Nide, and Konya. More than 20% of Turkey's agricultural output suffered damage. Crops, cattle, fisheries, aquaculture, and rural infrastructure, according to the United Nations, were severely devastated. Numerous structures and pieces of infrastructure were severely damaged by the earthquake, leaving thousands of people homeless. In addition to dealing with the physical impacts of the catastrophe, survivors also had to deal with the psychological effects of the earthquake.
One of the most common psychological effects of earthquakes is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A person may undergo or witness a traumatic incident, such as a natural disaster, and as a result, acquire PTSD, a mental health problem. Invading thoughts or memories of the traumatic incident, avoiding reminders of the event, hyperarousal, and depressing mood or mental shifts are some of the symptoms of PTSD. Numerous survivors of the Turkey earthquake claimed to have PTSD. For instance, some survivors claimed to struggle to manage their vivid and upsetting memories of the earthquake. Others claimed to have avoided locations or circumstances that made them think of the earthquake, such as busy streets or large buildings. Others, however, described feeling hyperaroused or being easily shocked.
Depression is another significant psychological repercussion of earthquakes. Depression is a mood illness that can make people feel unhappy, hopeless, and uninterested in doing things. After going through a painful experience or going through a major life transition, such as losing one's home in an earthquake, depression might set in. Many survivors of the earthquake in Turkey claimed to be depressed after it. For instance, some survivors described feeling numb or cut off from their surroundings, while others said they were overcome by feelings of melancholy or despair. Others described feeling pessimistic about the future and their capacity to start over in their lives.
Another typical psychological impact of earthquakes is anxiety. Anxiety is a mental health condition that can result in strong emotions of fear, anxiety, and trepidation. Anxiety can emerge following a painful incident or a major life shift, such as losing one's home in an earthquake. Many earthquake survivors from Turkey reported feeling anxious. For instance, some survivors claimed to continually worry about their safety or the safety of their loved ones, or to feel on edge. Others who heard aftershocks or felt the ground tremble described being overcome by feelings of terror or panic.
The daily lives of survivors can be significantly impacted by the psychological repercussions of earthquakes. For instance, survivors could find it difficult to go back into their regular routines or engage in activities they formerly enjoyed. They could also find it difficult to establish or develop new relationships, which can make them feel even more alone and isolated. Many of the more than 5.4 million children who reside across the earthquake zone, according to the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), are at risk of developing anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Survivors need to receive mental health care to cope with the psychological impacts of earthquakes. This can include treatment, medicine, and support networks in addition to community initiatives and programs. Mental health specialists can assist survivors in learning coping mechanisms and management techniques for their PTSD, sadness, and anxiety symptoms. Gokhan Malkoc, a psychology professor at Istanbul Medipol University, has traveled to seven of Turkey's ten impacted provinces with colleagues as part of government initiatives to establish psychological facilities. According to Malkoc, the majority of survivors of disasters experience post-traumatic shock for several days. Because of this strong psychological state, which causes their bodies to adapt by producing certain physiological, behavioral, and emotional reactions, they struggle to control their emotions. The Turkish government has taken action to offer survivors of the earthquake in Turkey mental health treatment. For instance, they have established counseling facilities in the impacted communities and trained mental health specialists. To lessen the stigma attached to receiving mental health care, they have also started a public awareness campaign. One of the most important aspects of relief is offering those affected by the earthquake in Turkey and Syria desperately needed mental health treatments. The Community-based Disaster Mental Health Intervention (CBDMHI) manual by Enhanced Learning and Research for Humanitarian Assistance (ELRHA) has been suggested as a pertinent and perhaps helpful resource for mental health support. The booklet, which was created in October 2016 in the wake of a terrible earthquake that struck Nepal in April 2015, intends to educate mental health service providers about a variety of self-care techniques as well as how to manage the mental health symptoms of earthquake survivors. The team distributed more than 2,000 manuals to NGOs and local governments and found that the intervention helped both vulnerable community members and mental health care professionals by lowering depression and raising job satisfaction for the latter and lowering depression and PTSD for the latter. To help people, get back to their life before the disaster, it is essential to offer mental health treatments throughout this time. To do this, the activity of NGOs and money from the UN will both be important.