Play Therapy for Children Exposed to Natural Disasters

Abstract

Natural disasters occur with increasing frequency every year in our country and around the world. The largest forest fires, in recorded history, occurred in Türkiye in 2021, and the Kahramanmaraş earthquakes, called the disaster of the century, occurred in 2023. Between these dates, our country has struggled with disasters such as avalanches and floods, as well as earthquakes and fires. Due to their unexpected nature and devastating impact on individuals' lives, natural disasters can also have shocking effects on individuals' mental health. Undoubtedly, many people have been affected by these disasters. However, children are a risky group among those affected by natural disasters because their coping skills are limited and they have not yet achieved their independence. In addition, it is known that traumatic experiences in the first years of life negatively affect the individual's development. Therefore, it is thought that the psychological support provided to children after a natural disaster is important. In this sense, play therapy appears as one of the effective intervention methods in the psychological support service provided after natural disasters. The aim of this study was to enable mental health professionals working with children exposed to disaster to understand possible psychopathologies and to create a framework for the role of play therapy in intervening.