healtheducation

Earthquake is the form of natural disaster realizing the certain energy from the earth crusts which creates quakes and tremor in the earth surface. It is measured by the modern machine called seismographs. Children are more vulnerable population to natural disasters like earthquake which leaves the dangerous negative impacts in children psychologically. The recurring earthquake drags children towards mental disorders like anxiety, depressions, frustration, acting opposing behaviors and fear of dying mostly during night times.
The earthquake happens every day in different parts of the world. Some of them are felt and some are not felt. Massive earthquake can be violent as it destroys huge buildings and kills thousands of people and acts as violent in children.  The global medias broadcast the situation of the affected place, injured people and destructive environment in the televisions, radios and internet. Children are psychologically affected by the scenes like injured people with no available health care services and waiting for death, dead people all around, situation to be street people and starvation problems in earthquake victims which are viewed in televisions. They become worried, depressed, frustrated and stressed soon. They think the world as the unsafe place to survive and they do not desire to live as the world is troublesome and full of burdens. It can be the good example of television violence which makes them psychologically aggressive, full of fear of dying and loosing of their parents. School going children do not see the worth of going to schools though they are advised by their parents and elders. It hampers in their academic success and coming future. Earthquake scene in the television like small children dying by the destructions of school buildings makes them more emotional and anxiety as they think them as their own friends of their class. Children highly suffer from significant depression, anxiety and trauma symptoms. During the earthquake, many children have to lose their parents, relatives and seniors which they do not have ever imagined which would happen in life and grieving takes place in more complicated forms which they cannot tolerate. They are self injured, have to lose some body parts, see many injured people waiting for help and deaths around him/her. Instead of immediate need of supports of family members, it results in lack of proper sleep, loneliness, disturbance in eating, oppositional acting out behaviors and loss of feelings of love for others. It harms children mentally in whole life and is prolonged. So, the prolonged childhood heartbreak drags them towards antisocial activities like alcoholisms, drugs abuse, smoking, murdering, risk taking behaviors and suicide. It hampers in their developmental skills, academic and physical problems. Daytime flashbacks and nightmares occur frequently as the reoccurring events come in their mind in whole life. The memories of earthquake leaves negative impacts on children as they are afraid of small vibrations made by the running of vehicles near houses and make them remember the past dreadful events again. It includes quick breathing, high blood pressure, quick pumping of heart, high body temperature resulting in sweating and other physical symptoms in mild earthquake also.
In the world, children with victims of earthquakes are not only seriously affected psychologically but also affected physically and socially. Psychologists have a vital role in treating of the psychologically affected victimized children. Cognitive behavior therapy, trauma psychotherapy and various trauma avoiding interventions like positive and adaptive thinking, promotion of coping behaviors, reducing of stress, improving their mood and motivating them for studies and daily creative activities. School also helps them as it also provides social supports and encourages them to bear a responsibility as a student in the school.