The pyschological effects of natural disasters on the victims of disaster: The sample of Trabzon city

Since the ancient times, it has been known that natural disaster caused the financial losses and, besides might be occurred the victim's behavioral responses towards all his/her life. There is few literature about the pyschological effects of natural disasters on the victims of disaster. The purpose of this study, it was shown that the psychological effects were caused by natural disasters in city and town of Trabzon at two groups with 63 people in adult who were victim or nonvictim groups by comparatively. As a method of this study, it was applied survey to victim or nonvictim groups and the results were evaluated by statistically. In conclusion, first feeling of the victims were mostly fear and panic, they felt in sad when they remember the event, had the first physiological responses that increased in breathing and heart rate after natural disaster. And it was observed that they could not know what to be able to do as a behavior during events. On the other hand, it was observed that the people who were less preinformation about disaster, had been effected more traumatic and also, women group had more traumatic effect than men's. However, it was reported that victims might be more awareness against to disasters in case of repeating by themselves. In this respect, in order to reduce the negative effects are created by natural disasters, it may help to settle in the awareness and the sensitivity of preinformation about natural disasters and provide benefits to support further studies about this subject. Keywords: Disaster Awareness, Disaster Psychology, Behaviours of Post Disaster, Natural Disaster