Earthquakes that occur in Kahramanmaraş and affect 10 provinces cause a social trauma.
Speaking about the things to be considered in this difficult process, Istinye University (ISU) Dr. Instructor Stating that children and adults cope with trauma differently, its member Tuğba Pehlivan says, “It can be suggested that children should be allowed to talk about what they saw and heard about the earthquake, they should be encouraged to express their feelings, and children should be included in social assistance plans.”
Two major earthquakes in Kahramanmaraş also cause a large-scale social crisis that deeply affects the entire society. Istinye University (ISU) Instructor Member Tuğba Pehlivan says that this state of trauma can cause feelings such as insomnia, fear of staying in closed places, anxiety, tension and anger as a result of not listening. Stating that children and adults cope with trauma differently, Pehlivan says that children should be allowed to talk about what they saw and heard about the earthquake and that children can be included in social assistance plans.
The disaster is a social trauma
Istinye University (ISU) Instructor Member Tuğba Pehlivan stated that the disaster was a social trauma and says:
“The disaster experienced is a social trauma that has ceased to be an individual trauma. Disasters that cause deep pain naturally cause mental as well as physical problems. Feelings such as insomnia, fear of staying in closed places, anxiety, tension and anger can be experienced as a result of not listening. If these effects after trauma persist for a long time, it is necessary to seek help from professionals in order to cope. Children or adults cope with trauma differently. It is especially important that children are not exposed to negative information and shares in the media, and that inaccurate information and misleading news are not shared with children. As it is for children, it is important for adults to reach the right information, share their feelings and thoughts, and activate their social support systems.”
Stating that attention should be paid to the news and the photos shared, Pehlivan says, “It is extremely important to pay attention to the protection of privacy in the media posts, considering that it will have a negative impact on the earthquake victims’ ability to cope with trauma in the long run.”
‘Aid workers’ at risk for compassion fatigue concept
Stating that people who carry out relief activities in the earthquake area are at risk in terms of the concept of ‘compassion fatigue’, Pehlivan says:
Compassion fatigue is expressed as the negative effect of helping individuals who have experienced a traumatic event or who are suffering from pain. It is a fact that in the long run, ‘aid workers’, especially in the earthquake zone, are at risk in terms of the concept of compassion fatigue. The compassion, willingness and ability to help of healthcare professionals who experience compassion fatigue decrease over time. For this reason, it is of great importance to support health workers who act as aid workers and to organize working shifts.”
Supporting healthcare workers is important
Pointing out that it is important to rest and support the health workers who are in the region to help the earthquake victims, Pehlivan continues his words as follows:
“Similar to the pandemic period after a disaster, it is possible for healthcare professionals to experience fatigue or occupational burnout. First of all, we are grateful to the health workers and all the officials working in earthquake zones at the moment, but I would like to express that it is very important for health workers to meet their basic needs, not to delay their own needs, and to rest themselves. As the Psychiatric Nursing Association’s message states, ‘Remember, one must live to keep one alive.’ There are both individual and corporate responsibilities so that they do not experience burnout or compassion fatigue in the long run. It is important that healthcare professionals are supported to increase their individual awareness, pay attention to their own self-care, and develop resilience. In particular, institutions have important duties in terms of recognizing the fatigue of health workers and taking precautions. Health workers should be supported with institutional arrangements or individual coping programs. Sharing the traumatic events experienced is very effective in coping with the trauma and relieving the emotional burden of the experienced events. In this context, environments can be created where healthcare professionals can share their feelings.”
Source: (BYZHA) – Beyaz News Agency
