Although about a week has passed since the devastating earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria, residents of the affected areas and nearby areas in the two countries continue to suffer, in general, from the negative repercussions on their mental health.
In light of the horror of the catastrophe and the scenes of death, destruction and loss, and the sad stories broadcast on television and social networks around the clock for rescue operations and removal of rubble and corpses, and the surviving families wandering on their faces in the streets and roads, the severity of the psychological and nervous symptoms that afflict them and even remote viewers increases, as Mental health experts warn.
Psychologists point out the need to give the psychological aspects of those affected by the earthquake victims the utmost importance, in order to remedy the deterioration of their mental health further due to the harsh experience they went through, which negatively affects their psychological and behavioral balance.
The experts, who spoke to “Sky News Arabia”, demanded the need to provide specialized psychological medical teams and teams, along with medical and relief teams in such disasters.
psychological symptoms
The expert and psychological consultant, Qassem Hussein Saleh, said in a statement to “Sky News Arabia”:
Survivors of natural disasters, especially earthquakes, suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, and its main symptoms are as follows:
Waking up several times at night, accompanied by recurring nightmares related to earthquakes.
Frequent memories and thoughts about the earthquake cause sadness, tension, anxiety, depression and nervousness.
They feel as if the earthquake will happen again at any moment.
Remember the event in the form of images or fantasies.
Severe emotional disturbance to any stimulus that triggers memories of the event.
Difficulty concentrating on performing an activity he was engaged in.
Loss of interest in daily life, feelings of guilt, and suicidal thoughts.
According to Saleh, given the large number of victims and those affected by the catastrophic earthquake, these dangerous and chronic psychological conditions will affect not only the survivors and those directly affected, but also the families and acquaintances of the victims, and all those who witnessed the horrific collapse of buildings, homes and public facilities, which means that millions of people around the world They will be affected, even partially, by varying psychological symptoms and conditions.