The recent 7.8 earthquake magnitude earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria caused major physical destruction and loss of life in both countries. Health experts now warn that the disaster will also cause major mental health damage as well.
土耳其和叙利亚最近发生的7.8级地震给两国造成了严重的物质破坏和生命损失。健康专家现在警告称，这场灾难也会对精神健康造成重大损害。
Officials say tens of thousands of people died and over 1.5 million were left homeless in cold winter conditions. Many have lost family members, jobs and their hopes for the future.
有关官员称，在这种寒冬条件下，有数万人死亡，还有150多万人无家可归。许多人失去了家人、工作以及对未来的希望。
Tugce Seren Gul's aunt and grandmother were killed in Antakya in Turkey's southeast. Every night, she waits until 4:17 am in the morning, the exact time that the disaster hit, to try to go to sleep.
图格斯·塞伦·古尔的姑姑以及祖母在土耳其东南部的安塔基亚市遇难。每天晚上，她都会等到凌晨4点17分，也就是这场灾难发生的确切时间，以试图入睡。
"I keep thinking another disaster will strike at that time and just wait for it to pass," said the 28-year-old Gul. She escaped by running out of her family house with her mother moments before the walls collapsed.
28岁的古尔表示，“我一直认为届时会发生另一场灾难，我在等着它过去。”她和母亲在墙壁倒塌前从家里逃了出来。
Gul said the horror has weighed heavily on the mental health of survivors who "lost everything" in the city of Antakya.
古尔表示，这种恐惧严重影响了那些在安塔基亚市“失去一切”的幸存者的生理健康。
She wants to one day seek professional mental health help to deal with the trauma. But for now, she is establishing a new life for herself and her family.
她希望有一天能够寻求专业的心理健康援助来处理这种创伤。但是目前，她正在为自己和家人建立一种新的生活。
Children at risk
面临风险的儿童
Experts fear children will be hardest hit. The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) said many of the more than 5.4 million children who live across the area affected by the earthquake were at risk of developing anxiety, depression and other disorders.
专家们担心儿童将会受到最沉重的打击。联合国儿童基金会表示，超过540万儿童居住在受地震影响地区，他们中的许多人都面临患上焦虑、抑郁以及其它疾病的风险。
"We know how important learning and routine is for children and their recovery," UNICEF Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia Afshan Khan said after a visit to Turkey.
联合国儿童基金会欧洲和中亚地区主任阿夫山·汗在探访土耳其后表示：“我们知道学习和日常生活对儿童及其康复有多么重要。”
"They need to be able to resume their education, and they urgently need" psychological "support to help deal with the trauma they have experienced."
“他们需要能够复学，他们迫切需要心理支持来帮助处理他们所经历的创伤。”
Mehmet Sari is a government social support worker. He said he and others in his team have seen signs of trauma in children.
穆罕默德·萨里是一名政府社会支持工作者。他说，他和他的团队中的其他人看到了儿童受到创伤的迹象。
They need long-term support to recover from trauma, he said.
他说，他们需要长期支持以便从创伤中复原。
Turkey's Ministry of Family and Social Services said it has sent more than 3,700 social workers to support those affected by the earthquake.
土耳其家庭和社会部表示，已经派出3700多名社会工作者支持地震影响人群。
‘The stress is chronic'
压力是长期的
Psychologist and professor at MEF University, Ayse Bilge Selcuk, said the Turkish people have already been under pressure. She said rising poverty and the COVID-19 pandemic have hurt the country.
MEF大学心理学家兼教授塞尔库克表示，土耳其人们已经承受了压力。她说，不断加剧的贫困和新冠疫情已经伤害了这个国家。
"The stress is chronic," Selcuk said, meaning that the tension continues over time. "For this nation to get back on its feet, we need to find that strength within us and that starts with our psychology," she added.
塞尔库克表示：“压力是长期的，”这意味着这种紧张局势会随时时间推移而持续。她还表示：“为了让这个国家重新站起来，我们需要找到始于我们内心的力量。”
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has promised to rebuild homes within a year. But it will still be many months before thousands can leave temporary shelters.
总统雷杰普·塔伊普·埃尔多安承诺在一年内重建家园。但是让数千人可以离开临时避难所仍然需要几个月时间。
People look numb, likely a defense process to deal with stress, said Selcuk. Anxiety, helplessness and depression are likely to be common and young people could feel anger.
塞尔库克表示，人们看着麻木，这可能是应对压力的一种防御过程。焦虑、无助和抑郁可能会还能常见，年轻人可能会感到愤怒。
Rebuilding efforts should include mental health, Selcuk said. She urged the government to provide money for training psychologists to be sent to the earthquake areas to stay there.
塞尔库克表示，重建工作应该包括心理健康。她督促政府提供资金，用于培训派往地震地区的心理专家。
"We shouldn't withdraw our attention three months later," she said.
她说：“我们不应该在三个月后放弃关注。”
I'm Mario Ritter, Jr.
我是小马里奥·里特。(51VOA.COM原创翻译，请勿转载，违者必究！)