Opinions of Individuals Exposed to Earthquake Regarding Their Psychological Rigidity

Abstract

This is a qualitative study conducted to evaluate the thoughts of individuals who were exposed to the earthquake that took place on 06.02.2023, centered in Kahramanmaraş, regarding their psychological rigidity. A phenomenological approach was adopted in the study. 14 participants were included in the study. Data were collected by audio recording with a semi-structured interview form. Content analysis technique was used to analyze the data. As a result of the analysis, it was determined that individuals exposed to the earthquake avoided the emotions of joy, happiness, love, sadness, anger and fear. It was determined that thoughts are suppressed and thoughts about the loss of family members are avoided. However, there are also participants who do not have avoidant thoughts or behaviors. Individuals exposed to earthquake reported situations such as fear of loss, nightmares, anxiety, hopelessness, rumination, powerlessness, failure, fear of punishment, burnout, embarrassment, claustrophobia, crying spells, eating problems, increase in alcohol/cigarette use, sleep problems, social isolation, excessive cleaning, staying away from entertainment, and disruption of social relations. In this study, after the trauma experienced, some individuals stated that they became aware of the value of life, created new options, had positive changes in social relations, and change in the perception of self. Considering the results, it is evaluated that practices aimed at increasing psychological flexibility will reduce the negative effects of traumatic experiences and increase psychological resilience in individuals.