This year, the 5th International Positive Psychology Congress, organized by Üsküdar Üniversitesi with the theme “Science of Goodness / What Arises from Goodness? & Earthquake and Post-Traumatic Growth”, concluded after three days of sessions. In the “Earthquake Outcome, Post-Traumatic Growth Manifesto” announced by the congress organizing committee, it was emphasized that traumatic experiences like earthquakes can lead not only to psychological disorders but also to positive change and development. The 7-item manifesto drew attention to the lessons that should be learned from the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes that plunged our country into mourning. In the manifesto, which emphasized that the earthquake should be considered an opportunity for all our citizens and our country to guide growth and development and increase awareness, it was stated, “Activities supporting development and learning in terms of awareness, preparedness, and coping should be increased for all individuals, children, youth, and adults in our country. As a society, steps should be taken to foster development in terms of mutual aid, cooperation, and organization.”
Kahramanmaraş earthquakes should be seen as an opportunity
Üsküdar Üniversitesi's 5th International Positive Psychology Congress, organized in partnership with Üsküdar Üniversitesi, NPİSTANBUL Hastanesi, NP Etiler & Feneryolu Medical Center, the Turkish Psychological Counseling and Guidance Association, and the Positive Psychology Institute, was held this year with the theme 'Science of Goodness / What Arises from Goodness? & Earthquake and Post-Traumatic Growth'.
Earthquake Outcome, Post-Traumatic Growth Manifesto Announced
The congress, held in a 'fi-gital' format at the Nermin Tarhan Conference Hall of Üsküdar Üniversitesi Main Campus, concluded after three days of sessions. It ended with the announcement of the “Earthquake Outcome, Post-Traumatic Growth Manifesto” by the congress organizing committee.
Catastrophe of the Century Affected Physical and Mental Health
The manifesto stated that on February 6, 2023, Turkey experienced one of the biggest disasters in its history, saying, “According to official data a month after the earthquakes, which had their epicenter in Kahramanmaraş and affected 11 of our provinces, nearly 50,000 of our people lost their lives, hundreds of thousands were injured, and as many structures were damaged or destroyed. The United Nations (UN) officially announced that the financial loss reached 100 billion dollars. This disaster, also called the catastrophe of the century, directly or indirectly affected the physical and mental health of all our citizens, along with their daily lives.”
Emergence of Psychological Disorders Triggered
The manifesto stated that such natural disasters trigger the emergence of psychological disorders because they are unpredictable, evoke a sense of helplessness in individuals, and cause significant changes in normal life: “Among these disorders, the most common are depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. The most common symptoms of depression are apathy, fatigue, low spirits, sleep and appetite problems, and an inability to enjoy life. Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder include constantly reliving the traumatic event, avoiding situations or events that remind one of the trauma, and a state of heightened arousal. Such mental health problems can exhibit different characteristics in individuals, and difficulties in diagnosis and treatment may be observed.”
Traumatic Experiences Can Lead to Positive Change and Development
The manifesto noted that traumatic experiences like earthquakes can lead not only to psychological disorders but also to positive change and development: “The concept of post-traumatic growth refers to positive psychological changes that emerge as a result of an individual coping with stressful events. These individuals show change and improvement in self-understanding, social relationships, and life philosophy. The pain and difficulties experienced can lead to results that support development in individuals and society. Professional psychosocial support provided by experts in the field after traumatic events is believed to be supportive of post-traumatic growth.”
Disaster Preparedness Is Important
The manifesto emphasized that the post-earthquake period is crucial for healing wounds, meeting basic needs, and providing psychosocial support activities, stating: “From the first moment of the disaster, international and national organizations became involved, and our entire society, in a state of government and national mobilization, initiated and continues to provide aid to the region. This major disaster, reminding us of the fact that our country is an earthquake-prone nation, should be evaluated in terms of increasing awareness regarding disaster preparedness and disaster management. It was observed that not only Turkey but rescue teams and aid from all over the world were sent. A neighboring country shared the message, ‘We know you to be strong.’”
We Wanted to Emphasize the Opportunity Aspect of Trauma
The Organizing Committee of the 5th International Positive Psychology Congress stated that they wanted to answer the question, “What did this earthquake teach us?” with the items from the “Post-Traumatic Growth Scales” and emphasized their desire to highlight not just the threat aspect of trauma but also its opportunity aspect, listing these results in 7 points:
1- We declare the necessity that the universal rules of civil engineering must no longer be overlooked, in line with the evidence-based predictions of geoscientists regarding visible causes.
2- Not only lives remained under the rubble… We declare the necessity of accepting the fact that all societal ethics, including management, business, and trade ethics, also remained under the rubble.
3- We declare the fact that pre-disaster planning, disaster response, recovery, and reconstruction plans should be made in advance during the risk management phase, that ad-hoc decisions should not be allowed, and that it is imperative to learn lessons in this regard.
4- We declare that the growth provided by profound emotions and values, such as the individual lessons to be learned: “I better understood the value of what I have. I accept events beyond my control and power as they are. I realized I need to learn to face difficulties and become more resilient. I realized I should think not only of myself but also of my environment and nature. I understood that my increased interest in spiritual values would benefit everyone. The place of many things I valued has changed. My physical comfort was disrupted, my freedoms were restricted, I realized my death was near” is a gain.
5- We declare that while our lives are now shaped as pre- and post-earthquake, continuing to heal wounds with new wisdom, we must also ensure our children gain delayed gratification and psychological resilience, and that it is important to return to normal life after these lessons.
6- It was observed with joy and satisfaction that various polarizations contributing to social fraternity were overlooked, and we express our wish for this situation to be permanent.
7- In conclusion, we wish that this earthquake be considered an opportunity for all our citizens and our country to guide growth and development and increase awareness. Activities supporting development and learning in terms of awareness, preparedness, and coping should be increased for all individuals, children, youth, and adults in our country. As a society, steps should be taken to foster development in terms of mutual aid, cooperation, and organization. We believe it is crucial to act with unity of mind and heart to identify existing problems in all areas of social life such as urban planning, education, health, environment, and security, and to implement sound solutions. We also want to remind everyone of a hidden law of psychology: “Pain and suffering are actually a part of growth.”
It was decided by the organizing committee that the aforementioned points be declared as a result of the “Post-Traumatic Growth After Earthquake” themed session of the 5th International Positive Psychology Congress. As a final word, we would like to reiterate the warning from Prof. Dr. Howard Gardner of Harvard University, who discovered and developed the “Theory of Multiple Intelligences” and supported our congress by participating online: 'Life may become easier in the future, but remaining human may not be easy.'”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “We Must Discuss the Results from All Perspectives”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, Founding Rector of Üsküdar Üniversitesi and also the Congress President, emphasized in his closing speech the importance of the announced manifesto being well understood by all segments of society. Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan said, “If we, as a society and as leaders, can discuss and develop the results and concepts in the manifesto in terms of data, it would be the most beautiful spiritual investment we make in Turkey's future. The manifesto contained the lessons learned from this. This was, in fact, the outcome produced by this congress. Of course, transforming this into practice is not easy. And for that, I believe a duty and responsibility falls upon all of us.”