WHO designs emotional support for teenagers affected by Türkiye earthquakes

WHO is creating new opportunities to reach adolescents and their caregivers affected by the devastating earthquakes that struck southeastern Turkey on 6 February 2023. Early Adolescent Skills for Emotions (EASE) is an evidence-based group psychological intervention for adolescents aged 10-15 years affected by internal stress and symptoms of anxiety or depression in communities exposed to adversity. To meet local needs, it has now been adapted into Turkish by the WHO country office in Türkiye.

The EASE package is being implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Family and Social Services. Within the framework of the Social Inclusion of Persons with Mental Disabilities project, it is jointly funded by the European Union and the World Health Organization. After a rigorous process of translation, proofreading and technical quality control to ensure the package is accurate and useful for local use, pilot projects were implemented in two provinces.

Three years after the earthquakes, for many young people the effects have extended beyond the initial shock, manifesting as stress, sadness, anxiety, withdrawal and other signs of emotional distress. Children and adolescents across the affected provinces continue to face significant disruption to daily life, family routines and their sense of security. Therefore, strengthening community support for mental health and psychosocial needs is an essential component of recovery.

Accessible interventions

The EASE package has been successfully adapted to the national context, and training courses for facilitators have built local capacity for implementation. This intervention, developed by the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), is based on modified elements of cognitive behavioral therapy. It is designed to be delivered by trained and supervised lay assistants, making it particularly important when specialist mental health services for children and adolescents are limited.

“Many adolescents in earthquake-affected areas have been exposed to prolonged stress, uncertainty and disruption to their daily lives,” said Şebnem Afşar Kurnaz, a psychologist and technical officer at the WHO country office in Turkey. “The EASE program provides a structured, evidence-based approach to help them understand and manage their emotions, while strengthening the role of parents or other caregivers in supporting their recovery.” “In such contexts, expanding the range of accessible community-based interventions is crucial to ensure that young people are not left without the psychosocial support they need.”

After the initial stages, a structured rollout plan was initiated to expand the intervention to additional provinces. Through this intervention, teens participate in weekly sessions over 7 weeks, while their caregivers participate in 3 sessions designed to promote supportive parenting and help reinforce the skills teens are learning at home.

Practical tools

For many health professionals, the value of the program lies in its practical, adolescent-friendly tools. “Through this training, I was able to see more clearly how I can better help teens in this age group understand their feelings,” said Maqbool Bayraktar, a psychologist at Antakya Social Service Center. “For example, an emotion jar helps them identify different emotions they experience in a day. Breathing exercises also give them a chance to calm down while dealing with difficult emotions.”

Onur Koc, a psychologist at the Defne Center for Social Service, added: “For a region affected by disasters, displacement and social and economic deprivation, this program is ideal.” “I think it can play a protective role against mental health risks that this age group may face later in life.”

Yamur Bahceci, child development specialist at the Defne District Health Directorate, stressed the long-term value of the intervention, noting that its practical and achievable structure could make a serious contribution over time and strengthen fieldwork.

Enhancing coping skills

The impact of EASE can also be seen in the container city of Büyükdalyan, where caregivers and adolescents who participated in the sessions described changes in daily life at home.

One mother said that, after the sessions, she began paying more attention to her children, setting healthy boundaries and speaking more calmly. “When my child screams at me, I don’t act immediately,” she said. “I wait until we both calm down, then we talk.” Another caregiver explained that in difficult moments, they now remember the messages from the sessions and try to understand their child better by listening more carefully and making eye contact.

The teens also began using the skills after the sessions. One of the girls said that she now practices breathing exercises, especially in the evening, because it helps her relax. Another teen explained that she returns to short stories and breathing techniques in her free time or when she feels overwhelmed or angry. These small but meaningful changes show how structured psychosocial support can enhance coping skills not only during the session, but also in daily life.

Expand access

As trainer Izzat Doman points out, the joint participation of the two ministries is crucial to ensuring the program is implemented effectively and sustainably over time. This institutional partnership is a key strength of the initiative, helping to integrate evidence-based mental health and psychosocial support within existing health and social service systems in the earthquake-affected region.

Now that the EASE package is publicly available in Turkish through the WHO publishing platform, the next phase will focus on expanding access. New training courses and counseling sessions are planned so that more adolescents and caregivers can benefit from structured, timely support. As the region continues to rebuild after the earthquakes, the Turkish version of the EASE program offers a practical intervention and a reminder that recovery must include emotional healing, family connection and renewed hope for young people.

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