Supervisors info:
Δρ Ε. Λέκκας, Καθηγητής, Τμήμα Γεολογίας & Γεωπεριβάλλοντος, ΕΚΠΑ
Δρ. Σ. Λόζιος, Επίκουρος Καθηγητης, Τμήμα Γεολογίας & Γεωπεριβάλλοντος, ΕΚΠΑ
Δρ, Ν. Βούλγαρης, Καθηγητής, Τμήμα Γεολογίας & Γεωπεριβάλλοντος, ΕΚΠΑ
Summary:
The historical and mythological collective memory of all the world's cultures are full of references to major catastrophic events which date back to times when man sought primarily to adapt to the natural environment. The flood of Noah in the Jewish tradition, the historic famine of Athens during the Peloponnesian War, the decline of the Cycladic civilization on the occasion of the eruption of the volcano in Santorini, are the indelible marks of natural disasters of the past into the subconscious of people.
In modern times disasters have become a modern plague and constitute emergency situations that are defined by a sense of urgency for immediate reaction. The disasters management is an emerging inter scientific study area, which is directly related to the highly complex social and natural systems while its aftermath involve humanitarian, economic and environmental impacts. The humanitarian ones include deaths, injuries, dislocation of the population and the psychological effects.
Natural disasters are always associated with negative effects which include post-traumatic stress, depression, generalized anxiety and physical health problems. The human beings depending on their ability to adapt to unpleasant experiences, can successfully overcome traumatic situations, manage to avoid the psychological collapse and adjust properly to events that mark their living environment.
Unfortunately there are exceptions to the above mentioned. In certain cases, the person’s whole inner world (memories, thoughts, feelings) is associated with an extreme and threatening condition that occurs uncontrollably with tremendous intensity, trapping him in a terrible nightmare from which, often, cannot escape even after years. The harmful effects of this situation are related to several factors, including the nature of the phenomenon, the magnitude of the disaster, their personal level indicators such as demographic characteristics (age, sex, nationality and marital status), socioeconomic status and mental health before the disaster.
The most common disorders that can be observed after a disaster are depression, acute anxiety Stress Disorder (ASD), major depressive disorder (MDD), general anxiety, general unspecified anxiety, abuse of alcohol which the tendency of leasing to alcohol and drugs dependence, various physical disorders and the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The psychological state of PTSD can occur in any person who was directly exposed or witnessed events that either threatened his own life or that of someone else or caused a psychological wound. The persons suffering from PTSD often relive the traumatic experience and have flashbacks of the event, face sleeping problems, feel detached from reality, experience feelings of guilt, melancholy, depressive symptoms, anxiety and intense emotions, nightmares or hallucinations associated with the trauma, etc.
The symptoms can be really intense and occur so often that have an immediate negative impact on a person's daily life. In a wide range of cases, the PTSD symptoms are transient but one should keep in mind that there are certain cases in which the risk factors outweigh the protective mechanisms, resulting to the persistence of the symptoms for many years after the event.
Gender is an important element for PTSD. Twice as many women than men suffer from this disorder. Another key factor is the severity of trauma along with the age of the person exposed. Painful events during childhood or puberty result in harsher intensity traumas. It must also be noted that the personality of every human being is an important factor as well, along with his attitude towards life, personal interpretation and evaluation of the experiences and life events in combination with psychological problems that he may be facing. The support offered by the family or friendly environment can be a crucial factor in the healing process.
Treatment will depend on what stage the disorder will be perceived or set and its severity. The address of a person who has recently being exposed to a traumatic event and experiences the symptoms of PTSD syndrome, should involve psychological support and encouragement to discuss his feelings, while the training in relaxation techniques in order to handle stress is necessary. The provision of medication is also required in several cases.
It is generally accepted that human beings reconcile with the disasters that happen in the world, deal with the fact that they have to live with them while at the same time acknowledge that in order to survive a potential disaster it is necessary to be prepared before and during the outburst of the phenomenon to protect both themselves and others in order and cope with the aftermath of the disaster.
Nowadays it is generally accepted that the psychosomatic effects that plague victims of disasters are equally important as the material, tangible ones not only for the primary but also for the victims at any level and a significant effort to investigate those consequences and find the proper responses should be administered.
Keywords:
Adjustment, stress, natural disasters, post-traumatic stress disorder, comorbidity, prevention, intervention, psychological support.
