Gelisim News

Traumatic Events Increase Psychological Resilience

Trauma, also known as mental injury, occurs after traumatic events. Asst. Prof. Dr. Erkal Erzincan, a faculty member at Istanbul Gelisim University stated traumatic events increase the psychological resilience of people.

Asst. Prof. Dr. Erkal Erzincan, Department of Psychology at Istanbul Gelisim University, indicated most people encounter at least one traumatic event at some point in their lives. The development of the disease can occur even years after the traumatic event.


“TRAUMATIC EVENTS ARE MORE COMMON THAN EXPECTED”
Traumatic events that cause intense feelings of helplessness, horror and embarrassment also damage the physical and mental integrity of the person. Asst. Prof. Dr. Erkal Erzincan, Faculty of Economics, Administrative and Social Sciences, Department of Psychology, at Istanbul Gelisim University, emphasized that Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a chronic disease and added the following:
“In a study conducted with a total of 68,894 adult participants from 24 countries, it was reported that more than 70% of the participants were exposed to at least one traumatic event, while 30.5% were exposed to four or more traumatic events. Although traumatic events are so common, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder does not develop after every traumatic event. Contrary to popular belief, the most common mental disorder that occurs after a traumatic event is major depressive disorder. Again, contrary to popular belief, the most common situation in the face of a traumatic event is not the emergence of a mental disorder, but the continuation of psychological resilience and health.’’
Stating that traumatic events are more common than expected, Asst. Prof. Dr. Erkal Erzincan said that the implementation of preventive mental health practices is very vital, particularly in times like today, when the risk is high.

IF YOU EXPERIENCED ONE OF THESE BELOW, YOU MAY HAVE HAD A TRAUMATIC EVENT

Asst. Prof. Dr. Erkal Erzincan stated that according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DMS), if a person notices at least one of the following in herself/himself, s/he may have had a previous traumatic event. These are as follows:

1.  Experiencing a direct traumatic event(s).
2.  Witnessing the event(s) that happened to others directly.
3.  Learning that a traumatic event(s) has happened to a family member or close friend. The actual death or probability of death of a family member or friend must have been by force or accident.
4. Repetitive or excessive exposure to the unpleasant details of the traumatic event(s) (e.g., primitives to collect human remains, police officers re-experiencing details of child abuse).