Psychological consequences of the earthquake and awareness of the seismic risk

Group interventions in emergency situations addressed to the survivors of the earthquake that hit L’Aquila were organized as informative and educational meetings led by geologists from the National Institute of Geology and Volcanology and by the psychologists from the Psychology for Peoples association. This experience allowed to make a classification of the individuals according to their personal way of recollecting the traumatic episode and describing their own reactions. The sharing of the different ways of experiencing the earthquake and the diverse mnemonic functions led to the identification of common emotions and underlying phantasies. Above all, what emerged was a common way of thinking and of selfdefence shared by all age groups, which allowed for the organization of group activities and interventions suitable to each age.

Keywords: Seismic risk, group activity, educational interventions, different ways of experiencing a trauma, birth trauma, protective function of popular beliefs

Marco Longo, Le conseguenze psicologiche del terremoto e la coscienza del rischio sismico in "GRUPPI" 3/2010, pp 43-52, DOI: 10.3280/GRU2010-003005