Opinions of psychological counselors on the psychosocial support needs of individuals after disaster

Many disasters have occurred in the world from past to present. The fact that the response services carried out after disasters include well-organized and disciplined work increases the effectiveness of the studies. In this direction, the aim of this study is to examine the psychosocial support needs of individuals after a disaster based on the opinions of psychological counselors who have worked after the disaster. This study was carried out using the phenomenological design within the scope of the qualitative research approach. The participants in the study group consist of 17 psychological counselors who worked after the disaster in Kahramanmaraş on February 6, 2023, determined by using the homogeneous (similar) sampling technique within the framework of the purposeful sampling method. The data collected using the semi-structured interview form consisting of 7 questions developed by the researchers were analyzed by descriptive analysis technique. In the analysis of the obtained data, the perceptions of psychological counselors regarding the concept of need were found to be need, wishes, relief of distress, priorities, obligation, survival and search; the perceptions of the concept of psychosocial support need were found to be coping power, being understood, unconditional acceptance and sustaining life. The psychosocial needs of individuals after the disaster; It has been found that the process of determining the needs and resources, the process of mobilizing and ensuring participation in society, the process of social improvement activities, the process of supporting employees, the process of psychological first aid and education and psycho-education. It has been found that expert support, not leaving alone, the priority of basic needs and normalization studies are necessary to meet the psychosocial support needs of individuals. It has been found that the responsibility for meeting the psychosocial support needs of individuals after a disaster falls mostly on top managers, mental health workers, educators and all citizens. As a result, various psychosocial support needs of individuals arise after a disaster. It has been concluded that it is important to correctly identify these needs with the necessary precautions and plans in coordination and cooperation and to try to meet the psychosocial support needs of individuals by taking into account individual differences in social events such as disasters that deeply affect the society.