The importance of psychological first aid intervention and nurses after earthquake
Authors: Tanrıverdi Ömer 
Published: January 2025

Abstract
Disasters such as earthquakes are events that cause both material damage and psychiatric disorders. Many psychological problems occur in individuals after earthquakes. Nurses can determine the physical and psychological effects of disasters on the individual, family and society and protect the physical and emotional safety of individuals at all stages of the disaster. Nurses help people to use problem-solving skills, rational coping behaviors and discover their strengths in difficult situations such as earthquakes with their healthy communication knowledge and skills. Psychiatric first aid practice is important in terms of enabling individuals to express their feelings and thoughts in the face of a disaster situation and supporting their ability to restructure their lives and their sense of self-confidence. It is important that psychological first aid studies must be known by nurses because it accelerates the healing process of the individual.

References
11. Yang, Y.-N., Xiao, L. D., Cheng, H.-Y., Zhu, J.-C., & Arbon, P. (2010). Chinese nurses’ experience in the Wenchuan earthquake relief. International Nursing Review, 57(2), 217-223. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1466-7657.2009.00795.x
12. Mahmoud, A. S., Abd Elbary, A., & Berma, A.(2019). Effect of Progressive Relaxation Technique on the Anxiety Level of the Psychiatric Patients before Electro Convulsive Therapy. Port Said Scientific Journal of Nursing, 6(2), 46-60. https://doi.org/10.21608/pssjn.2019.19807.1005
13. Field, J. E., Wehrman, J. D., & Yoo, M. S.(2020). Helping the Weeping, Worried, and Willful: Psychological First Aid for Primary and Secondary Students. Journal of Asia Pacific Counseling, 2017; 7(2), 169-180. https://doi.org/10.18401/2017.2.4
14. Christina C, Use of Psychological First Aid for Nurses , 38(1) 26-32
15. Brymer, M., Jacobs, A., Layne, C., Pynoos, R., Ruzek, J., Steinberg, A., Vernberg, E., & Watson, P. (2006). National Child Traumatic Stress Network and National Center for PTSD, Psychological First Aid: Field Operations Guide, 2nd Edition
16. Shalev, A. Y., & Freedman, S. (2005). PTSD following terrorist attacks: A prospective evaluation. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 162, 1188-1191. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.162.6.1188
17. Ruzek, joseph, Brymer, M., Jacobs, A., Layne, C., Vernberg, E., & Watson, P.(2007). Psychological First Aid. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 29, 17-49. https://doi.org/10.17744/mehc.29.1.5racqxjueafabgwp
18. Demircioglu, M., Seker, Z., & Aker, A. T. (2019). Psychological First Aid: Objectives, Practicing, Vulnerable Groups and Ethical Rules to Follow/Psikolojik Ilk Yardim: Amaglari, Uygulanisi, Hassas Gruplar ve Uyulmasi Gereken Etik Kurallar. Psikiyatride Guncel Yaklasimlar/Current Approaches to Psychiatry, 11(3), 351-363.
19. Vernberg, E., Steinberg, A., Jacobs, A., Brymer, M., Watson, P., Osofsky, J., Layne, C., Pynoos, R., & Ruzek, J. (2008). Innovations in Disaster Mental Health: Psychological First Aid. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 39, 381-388. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0012663
20. Pekevski, J. (2013). First responders and psychological first aid. Journal of Emergency Management(Weston, Mass.), 11(1), 39-48. https://doi.org/10.5055/jem.2013.0126