Psychological support guide for children and parents surviving major disasters such as fires

Disasters such as fires and earthquakes severely erode the sense of security and damage the feeling of being safe. Altınbaş University Psychology Department Lecturer Clinical Psychologist Dr. Esra Gül Koçyiğit pointed out that the fire in Kartalkaya had a shocking effect on the society. She noted that especially how to treat people who have experienced this disaster and lost their relatives is important for them to overcome the trauma they have experienced. He stated that psychological trauma reactions may occur immediately after the fire, or they may occur at a later time with a delay. Stating that the severity and intensity of psychological trauma reactions can vary from person to person, Esra Gül Koçyiğit said, “Children can experience psychological trauma just like adults after traumatic events. Receiving psychological first aid support during this period reduces the effects of the disease.” She pointed out that many children and young people who are with their families due to the half-year break also experience this trauma. On the other hand, many children are uncontrollably exposed to images of fire and helpless people in front of the television or on their phones. Stating that the effects of these images on children are the most frequently asked questions, Clinical Psychologist Dr. Esra Gül Koçyiğit gave important warnings about what to do next.

Dr. Esra Gül Koçyiğit stated that the main thing in the support and treatment process is the restoration and recovery of the sense of security that has been severely damaged in the person. According to Dr. Esra Gül Koçyiğit, this recovery has the effect of ending many psychological symptoms and facilitating the treatment of many of them. Touching on what can be done to prevent a lasting impact, especially on children, Koçyiğit listed the recommendations as follows:

 

o Children who witness these disasters may ask the same question over and over again. This is a method used by the child to make sure that he/she is safe. All their questions should be answered patiently and without getting tired.

o For this reason, children can be told that they are safe now. It can be stated that what happened is not anyone's fault. Because children who have not reached sufficient maturity in terms of mental development may also think that such events are caused by their own thoughts.

o They may feel guilty and helpless. It should be explained that not everything in life is under our control and that we can only take importance in events beyond our control.

Should fire news be shown to children?

Prof. Dr. Esra Gül Koçyiğit stated that it is not possible to keep children completely away from television and therefore from the news. However, she warned about setting limits on the television programs that children watch. “Instead of overly scary or overly emotional news, television programs that convey real news can be watched under the supervision of the parent/caregiver.” Expressing that explaining the purpose of the news in the media to children will reduce their anxiety, Koçyiğit said, “These news are given to us for information to take precautions against disasters. Learning what to do in case of fire protects us.” suggested an approach.

How should one behave in the next process?

Dr. Esra Gül Koçyiğit evaluated that the health status of the parent/caregiver is also important. She stated that it is not appropriate to focus only on meeting the needs of the child and neglect their own needs. “It should be known that when parents can take care of themselves in terms of nutrition, health, emotional needs, etc., they can be more beneficial to their children.” He said that parents or caregivers can provide information about the effects of disasters in accordance with the age and developmental level of the child to ensure that the child can better understand this event.

“The family should stay together”

Koçyiğit recommends that the family should stay together as much as possible to overcome the trauma, “The child's physical needs such as eating, drinking and sleeping should return to the routine of the pre-disaster period as soon as possible. In this way, the child will feel safer.” Koçyiğit stated other things that can be done as follows.

o Children who are worried about separation from their parents should be supported and made to feel safe and comfortable.

o In this process, both parents and important people around the child should be good listeners. Listening carefully and calmly and patiently to what the child wants to tell is very important for the child to convey his/her feelings.

o Whenever possible, environments with toys should be prepared for children. Particular attention should be paid to the presence of toys representing people and objects such as father, mother, siblings, friends, house, fire brigade, police, doctor, ambulance, hospital. With their childlike spontaneity, children discharge their tensions by reflecting them in play.

o The child can be spoken to one-on-one. A story can be written. Children who talk about their fears can be made to draw pictures about their fears. They can also be encouraged to draw the fire brigade and volunteer workers who come to their rescue. Art activities such as collage works can also be done.

o Children can be supported to write letters to other people who have been exposed to fire or to people who came to their rescue.

o Parents/caregivers should support the child to express themselves but should not force the child to do so. Some children may talk more about the event, while others may only talk about a part of the event. The age and developmental level of children should also be taken into consideration. Developmentally, children under the age of 5 do not say much. Children aged 6-9 are ready to talk about some things. Children aged 10 years and above are ready to talk more. While supporting children to express themselves, they can be asked “what was the first thing you felt when the event happened?”. If no answer is received, then the question “what did you think?” can be asked. Questions such as “What can I do to make you feel safer”, “What can you do to feel safer” can be asked. Children can be asked to draw a picture of where the safe “place” is. Children should also be told that it is normal to feel sad in the face of unexpected situations. Children should be given the opportunity to cry and be sad. Children do not have to be brave. Therefore, statements such as “you are a brave child, you should not be afraid” should be avoided.

o Positive developments should also be mentioned. It is also necessary to talk about the heroic stories of many people who experienced such disasters but were not harmed, and those who benefited recovered quickly.

o While making the child feel safe, it is necessary not to make imprecise sentences such as “It will never happen again”.

o The child may have regression behaviors during this period. For example, behaviors such as bedwetting and thumb sucking may be observed after the disaster in children who have previously acquired toilet habits or who did not have behaviors such as thumb sucking. In this regard, it is necessary not to criticize the child or show negative reactions.

o Another way to build a sense of trust in the child is to make a plan about what to do and where to go in case of a bad situation. A small wallet with a piece of paper containing the child's information can be provided. The child can be told that someone will take care of him/her.

“Support from parents/caregivers alone may sometimes not be enough.”

Dr. Esra Gül Koçyiğit from Altınbaş University reminded that sometimes all these supports may not be enough. She warned families about the symptoms that should be taken into consideration: “If there are symptoms such as sleeping too much or sleep changes such as insomnia, nightmares, changes in eating, loss of appetite or overeating, frequent crying, abdominal pain, complaints about the intestines, excessive fatigue and irritability, inability to enjoy the things they enjoyed before, attention and concentration difficulties, excessive separation anxiety, feeling hopelessness, and if these symptoms in the child last more than 4-6 weeks, professional help should be sought.”