Prof. Nevzat Tarhan: "Fear of earthquakes triggers 'mean world syndrome'"

Following the Kahramanmaraş earthquake, the imminent İstanbul earthquake remains on the agenda according to experts. There are debates on television, news in newspapers and speculations on social media about the possible consequences of the Istanbul earthquake. Prof. Nevzat Tarhan stated that the fact that the earthquake comes to the agenda every day means 'living with the earthquake' and said that it is not possible for this situation not to adversely affect people's mental health. Stating that discussions should be based on scientific studies and concrete steps taken instead of the elements that frighten people, Tarhan said that "The most important reason for the increase in human psychiatric cases is uncertainty and unknown. There will be a serious response to disrupting people's mental health by constantly talking about earthquakes."

President of Üsküdar University Prof. Nevzat Tarhan touched upon the effects of the great Istanbul earthquake discussions, which are frequently brought up after the Kahramanmaraş earthquake on February 6, on people's psychology.

To mention the Istanbul earthquake every day means 'living with the earthquake'

Prof. Nevzat Tarhan stated that the fact that the Istanbul earthquake comes to the agenda every day means 'living with the earthquake' and said that "Telling a person to 'live with the earthquake' is like saying 'live with the snake in your house'. It is not possible for this not to adversely affect mental health, and we can easily say that. Psychologically, this has two kinds of effects. One increases anxiety, and the second causes avoidance behavior. The person tries to live this issue by ignoring this situation. Or try to avoid changing environments. These are situations that increase the stress burden of the human being."

Concrete steps should be discussed for people's mental health, not how there will be an earthquake

Evaluating the fact that even those who have not experienced an earthquake before sometimes feel that 'an earthquake is happening', Tarhan said that "An awareness about the earthquake is needed, and we must accept this. At the moment, it is known very precisely that a serious building stock is not earthquake resistant. In such cases, it is necessary to go with scientific studies, not by giving people a delusion, or scare, and to say, ‘These buildings in this neighborhood are risky, and these concrete steps are being taken regarding it.’ What disturbs people the most, increases their anxiety, disrupts their mental health, pushes them to do wrong things, and causes the increase in psychiatric cases is uncertainty and uncertainty. It is necessary to draw a road map on such issues and to take concrete, evidence-based steps. When this cannot be done, awareness about the earthquake cannot be managed. There will be a serious response to disrupting people's mental health by constantly talking about earthquakes."

Fear of earthquakes triggers ‘mean world syndrome'

Prof. Nevzat Tarhan stated that those living in Istanbul may experience earthquakes, struggle for survival under the rubble or experience fear of death, and Tarhan said that "The fear that people experience varies according to their personality characteristics. Those who have had earthquake trauma in the past experience this situation more severely. Those who have lost a loved one live differently. At the moment, those who say 'life is not safe, Istanbul is not safe' have increased in the society."

Tarhan added that avoidance behavior can be seen in people who are sensitive to the fear of death, and continued:

"There is a condition called mean world syndrome. In mean world syndrome, people think that the world is not safe, and three kinds of reactions occur. The first reaction is to become withdrawn and depressed. The second reaction is that the person becomes aggressive, causing an increase in violence. The third reaction is avoidance behavior. They start to run away because 'Istanbul is not safe'. In the meantime, we know that experts who want to come to Istanbul from Anatolia in many areas have changed their decision to come just because there will be an earthquake."

The first condition of psychological preparation for an earthquake is acceptance

Referring to how to prepare psychologically for the earthquake without being an earthquake victim, Tarhan stated that "First of all, we will be aware that we live in an earthquake zone in Istanbul. Secondly, we need to accept that an earthquake is no longer a distant possibility, but an imminent and possible possibility. After agreeing to this, one must have one's own plan. It is necessary to know the triangle of life and to have an earthquake bag. The person should have tests and reports about whether their home is safe. Doing nothing increases anxiety, but taking a step reduces anxiety. It is absolutely necessary to think about 'what is my duty here' and take concrete steps. After doing everything that can be done, when this issue comes to mind, it is necessary to say 'I have taken sufficient steps regarding this' and return to routine work immediately."

It is necessary not to mummify trauma

Stating that to think about the trauma experienced by a person for a very long time and to live with the thought that it will be repeated is to 'mummify the trauma', Tarhan said that "Reactions such as sleeping with a whistle on your neck, walking around with a helmet on your head, rushing to the door at the slightest concussion are given. Many people live only in fear without taking a step, and these people mummify the trauma. Therefore, they vividly continue the trauma as it is. The mental health problem of these people can also turn into post-traumatic stress disorder. Expert help is needed here."

Underlining that ignoring trauma is also not healthy, Tarhan said that "When trauma is ignored, it occurs in the form of another disease such as stomach, intestine or heart disease. 'I have experienced this incident, and this is a fact of life' and we need to accept the situation, keep the memories of our lost relatives alive and continue our normal routine. In this way, we miniaturize the trauma and do not mummify it in our minds."

The main thing is not to manage when a crisis arises, but to estimate and manage risks

Emphasizing the need to be aware of the earthquake instead of being in a state of ignorance, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan said, "One should do one's part by taking concrete steps in this regard. It should also distinguish between the duties that fall on it and the duties that fall to the municipality or the state. The method of relaxing by blaming someone else is also used a lot. One does not do their part, one does not take precautions, and then one blames the state, the municipality or others. This is actually an unhealthy defense method."

Underlining that people should first make a crisis preparedness plan about what to do if an earthquake occurs, Tarhan completed his words as follows:

"There is such a risk, how can we manage it? Taking precautions is risk management. Those who have a crisis plan automatically implement the plan when a crisis arises and overcome it with the least damage. For example, approaches such as 'I will hide in this corner at home, I will not climb stairs' should be part of this plan. We saw it in the Kahramanmaraş earthquake. While everyone is running to the stairs, the Japanese go upstairs. This means that they have plans and training about the earthquake. The main thing is not to manage when a crisis arises, but to calculate and manage the risks."

 

Üsküdar News Agency (ÜNA)