From early response to post-response impact: a phenomenological study of counsellors' experiences following the 2023 Türkiye earthquakes
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHOTRAUMATOLOGY, cilt.17, sa.1, 2026 (SSCI, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 17 Sayı: 1
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1080/20008066.2026.2708410
- Dergi Adı: EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHOTRAUMATOLOGY
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Psycinfo, Directory of Open Access Journals, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Health Research Premium Collection (ProQuest), Psychology & Behavioral Sciences Collection (EBSCO)
- Açık Arşiv Koleksiyonu: AVESİS Açık Erişim Koleksiyonu
- Anadolu Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Background: The twin earthquakes that struck T & uuml;rkiye on 6 February 2023 (magnitudes 7.7 and 7.6) were among the most devastating in the nation's history, mobilising thousands of mental health professionals to address survivors' acute psychological needs alongside medical and humanitarian teams.Objective: This phenomenological study aimed to explore the lived experiences of counsellors who provided psychosocial support during the early response phase (i.e. the first 40 days following the earthquakes).Method: Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 18 counsellors (aged 30-49; 33.3% male) and analyzed using a phenomenologically informed thematic analysis.Results: Five overarching themes and 17 subthemes were identified: (1) Moral and Professional Imperatives, reflecting ethical-humanitarian responsibility and professional commitment; (2) Multilevel Challenges, including physical hardship, emotional burden, role ambiguity, communication barriers, and organisational and coordination challenges; (3) Sustaining Professional Functioning under Crisis Conditions, involving collective coping, emotional regulation, adaptive practice, and task-focused engagement; (4) Post-Response Impact: Growth, Distress, and Moral Tension, encompassing delayed stress reactions alongside personal and professional growth; and (5) Systemic Lessons for Disaster Preparedness, highlighting the need for improved interinstitutional coordination and organisational structure, enhanced professional preparedness through psychological readiness and training, and strengthened resource and intervention capacity.Conclusions: These findings contribute to the field of psychotraumatology by providing an in-depth understanding of how mental health professionals experience, make sense of, and cope with providing psychosocial support in large-scale disaster contexts. The study extends existing research by highlighting the coexistence of vulnerability and resilience, shaped by personal, professional, and systemic factors. The findings also have practical implications for early interventions, trauma-informed training, and coordinated disaster response systems. Resumen: Antecedentes: Los terremotos gemelos de magnitudes 7,7 y 7,6 que afectaron a Turqu & iacute;a el 6 de febrero del 2023 se consideran entre los m & aacute;s devastadores de la historia de la naci & oacute;n, miles de profesionales de la salud mental se movilizaron para atender las necesidades psicol & oacute;gicas agudas de los sobrevivientes, junto con los equipos m & eacute;dicos y humanitarios.Objetivo: Este estudio fenomenol & oacute;gico tuvo como objetivo explorar las experiencias vividas por los consejeros que brindaron apoyo psicosocial durante la fase de respuesta temprana (los primeros 40 d & iacute;as luego de los terremotos).M & eacute;todos: Los datos se recogieron mediante entrevistas semiestructuradas realizadas a 18 consejeros, de entre 33 y 49 a & ntilde;os; el 33,3% eran varones. Los datos se examinaron mediante un an & aacute;lisis tem & aacute;tico de orientaci & oacute;n fenomenol & oacute;gica.Resultados: Emergieron cinco temas de orden superior y 17 subtemas: (1) imperativos morales y profesionales, que reflejaron la responsabilidad & eacute;tica-humanitaria y el compromiso profesional; (2) desaf & iacute;os en m & uacute;ltiples niveles, que incluyeron la adversidad f & iacute;sica, la carga emocional, la ambig & uuml;edad de rol, las barreras de comunicaci & oacute;n, y los desaf & iacute;os organizacionales y de coordinaci & oacute;n; (3) sostenimiento del funcionamiento profesional en situaciones de crisis, que comprendi & oacute; el afrontamiento colectivo, la regulaci & oacute;n emocional, las pr & aacute;cticas adaptativas y participaci & oacute;n basada en tareas; (4) impacto posterior a la respuesta: crecimiento, malestar emocional y tensi & oacute;n moral, que abarc & oacute; reacciones diferidas frente al estr & eacute;s, as & iacute; como crecimiento personal y profesional; y (5) aprendizaje sist & eacute;mico para la preparaci & oacute;n ante desastres, que puso de relieve la necesidad de mejorar la coordinaci & oacute;n interinstitucional y la estructura organizativa, fortalecer la preparaci & oacute;n profesional mediante preparaci & oacute;n psicol & oacute;gica y entrenamiento, y garantizar la disponibilidad de recursos y la preparaci & oacute;n de las intervenciones.Conclusiones: Estos hallazgos contribuyen a la psicotraumatolog & iacute;a al ofrecer una comprensi & oacute;n profunda de c & oacute;mo los profesionales de la salud mental experimentan la prestaci & oacute;n de apoyo psicosocial durante desastres a gran escala, qu & eacute; significado le atribuyen y c & oacute;mo afrontan sus exigencias psicol & oacute;gicas. El estudio ampl & iacute;a la evidencia existente al resaltar la coexistencia de vulnerabilidad y resiliencia, as & iacute; como el papel de factores sist & eacute;micos y relacionales en el sostenimiento del funcionamiento profesional. Los resultados tambi & eacute;n tienen implicaciones para las intervenciones tempranas, la formaci & oacute;n con un enfoque informado en trauma y los sistemas coordinados de respuestas ante desastres.