[News] After earthquakes, mental health needs increase in Türkiye

[Draeno]

 

The earthquakes in Turkey have been absolutely devastating and its consequences will affect people's lives for years to come.

The consequences of the devastating earthquakes that struck Turkey in February are very visible in the destroyed buildings, makeshift camps and reconstruction efforts in the affected areas. With the arrival of spring, heavy rains have caused flooding that adds another layer of destruction to the situation.

For survivors, earthquakes have also had less visible but significant psychological consequences. At Doctors Without Borders (MSF) we are supporting local organizations in Turkey in their efforts to provide psychosocial support to people as they try to rebuild their lives.

Days after the quakes struck, people waited outside what was left of their homes as search and rescue teams tried to save people trapped under the rubble. Adding to the trauma, people had to identify each corpse they found to verify if it was their loved one or not. According to the Turkish authorities, at the beginning of April the death toll in Turkey exceeded 50,300.

“Despite poor hygiene conditions and sometimes unfavorable weather conditions, most people are still too afraid to enter buildings,” explains Nazlı Sinem Koytak, a psychologist at Imece Inisiyatifi in Adiyaman, an NGO. local supported by MSF. “They don't feel safe. People stay outdoors out of survival instincts”, he concludes.

Our teams continue to support local organizations to provide psychosocial support to people in the areas affected by the earthquakes. In the provinces of Adıyaman and Malatya, we do it through Imece Inisiyatifi; and in Hatay and Kahramanmaras provinces, through another local NGO called Maya Vakfi. As of March 24, we have reached more than 7,500 people in this way to provide individual and group consultations.

“People used to shelter in their houses, but now it has become a scary place, a place that kills them,” says Koytak.

Mental health workers encourage people to share their emotions, stories and challenges; letting them know that their feelings are normal given what they have been through. Group sessions create a bond between the participants, bringing them together so that they can support each other during difficult times.

People continue to be hyper alert and have trouble concentrating and sleeping. Some have nightmares every night, are forgetful and have lost their appetite. Aftershocks continue to occur on a daily basis, and people constantly replay past experiences in their minds and believe that another disaster could strike.

“I can't sleep well these days. I can't study either. I feel like all the information I had in my mind is gone,” says 13-year-old Eylül, who lives in Kayatepe (Rezip) village in Adıyaman.

“Whatever I knew before the earthquake, I don't know anymore,” he says.

According to Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency, more than 25,000 aftershocks have occurred since February 6, 47 of them with a magnitude greater than five. Psychology staff in the field have noticed that PTSD symptoms do not abate.

The psychological toll of the disaster has also affected people physically, causing panic attacks, muscle pain and eating disorders.

In rural areas, such as the villages of Başpınar (Küllüm) and Kayatepe (Rezip) in Adıyaman, most families have lost at least one person and are trying to rebuild their livelihoods and communities. They also welcome relatives who come from other towns. People who come from cities often feel that urban spaces are too dangerous and therefore head to the countryside.

For those who remain in urban areas, there are tensions between groups over the scarce resources left behind after the earthquakes. The scale of the disaster makes the needs for food, water and sanitation, as well as tents and other essential items, overwhelming.

Yardım Konvoyu (Aid Convoy Association), with the support of MSF, focuses on distributions to people in informal makeshift camps set up in parks and parking lots.

“Losing livelihoods creates another challenging situation that people must adapt to. People can't go back to work or their domestic routines,” says Koytak.

“Adıyaman is a destroyed city. Over time, this situation will increasingly affect people's emotions and behaviors, and this will make recovery much more difficult in the long term."

The local organizations that our teams support provide psychosocial assistance to a wide range of people affected by earthquakes: Turkish health workers, Syrian refugees, volunteers, children and adults. Psychosocial support can take many different forms, particularly for children who often benefit from simple activities such as drawing, dancing or listening to music.

The earthquakes have been absolutely devastating and their consequences will affect people's lives for years to come. By working with local organizations to provide psychosocial support, our goal is to help people further develop the strength and resilience needed to rebuild and process the immense trauma they have experienced.

*In Turkey, MSF supports local organizations such as Imece İnisiyatifi and Yardım Konvoyu.

**İmece İnisiyatifi is a non-profit organization based in Izmir, Turkey, which focuses on the traditional Turkish principle of “imece”, which emphasizes collective action and mutual support. Focused on community development through community-based approaches, since the earthquakes, the organization is carrying out distributions of basic necessities and educational activities and psychosocial support for vulnerable po[CENSORED]tions.

***Maya Vakfi is a Turkish non-profit organization focused on the mental, physical and academic development of boys, girls and young people from 5 to 24 years old, as well as their caregivers. Currently, as part of its response to earthquakes and its growing experience in disaster response, the organization is carrying out psychosocial activities and events to improve coping skills and the recovery process of people affected by earthquakes. Maya Vakfi is also providing wellness and capacity building activities focused on making public employees responsive for the long term.

 

https://www.elespectador.com/mundo/mas-paises/tras-los-terremotos-aumentan-las-necesidades-de-salud-mental-en-turquia-noticias-hoy/