What happens to DID clients after an earthquake: A case series

Abstract

On February 6, 2024, following two major earthquakes in Türkiye, over 35,000 buildings collapsed, and approximately 50,000 people lost their lives. In response, our university psychology department established a psychotherapy center in the affected region as a social responsibility project, providing services for seven months. During this period, 820 clients were reached, and dissociative identity disorder (DID) was identified in 16 of them (around 2%). The identification was made possible by a team experienced in DID, who incorporated it into routine differential diagnosis. The clients, aged 12 to 37, included 13 females. Analysis revealed that DID symptoms worsened for 11 clients after the earthquake, with increased issues such as anger and, in some cases, the emergence of new alternate identities. One child client experienced the first appearance of an alternate identity after the earthquake. These findings emphasize the necessity of monitoring DID patients after disasters and delivering treatments specifically tailored to their needs.