The psychosocial reflections of the February 6, 2023 Hatay-Antakya earthquakes

Earthquakes are natural disasters that can cause devastating damage in the affected regions, resulting in loss of lives and significant psychological impacts on individuals. Post-earthquake activities typically include rescuing those trapped under rubble, treating physical injuries, providing various forms of aid, securing shelter, and repairing infrastructure. However, identifying and treating the psychological effects is often more complex and long-term, which leads to the damage in this area being frequently overlooked. While many people manage to adapt to the new situation in the first weeks and re-establish their psychological resilience, for some individuals, this challenging process may take much longer to improve.In earthquake survivors, particularly those directly affected, feelings of anger, resentment, pain (grief), insecurity, rebellion, solidarity with one another, abandonment or a sense of being left to their fate, trauma, disappointment, hopelessness, anxiety, fear, and unease or insecurity due to uncertainty can be observed. Issues such as sleeplessness and difficulty concentrating are also common.On February 6, 2023, two devastating earthquakes struck Turkey. These earthquakes deeply affected Hatay, as well as many other provinces in Turkey. As a result, one of the biggest disasters in the history of the Republic of Turkey occurred on this date. This study aims to examine the psychosocial reflections of the February 6 earthquakes on individuals living in Hatay-Antakya from an anthropological perspective.