Earthquakes can cause serious psychological aftershocks
A 7.1 magnitude earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2011 injured thousands of people. But many more likely experienced anxiety and depression after the disaster. (Nigel Spiers/Deposit Photos/)In October of 2019, three strong earthquakes hit the Philippine municipality of Tulunan, Cotabato. With multiple active fault lines snaking around the southern island, residents three hours away in Davao City felt the ground shaking. The first round of tremors kept me up at night. The second came two weeks later, and then the third just two days after. That’s when I lost count.As people in Tulunan shared photos and videos of the destruction, I felt helpless. The anxiety of not knowing what to do or what would come next flooded my mind. Little did I know, my worries were just beginning.“The vast majority of earthquakes are caused by the sudden release of stresses built up by movements of tectonic plates,” says Morgan...