Caring for Natural Disaster Victims, FIK UI Provided Psychosocial Support and Stress Management in Tegalega, Bogor
Indonesia is known as a country that often undergoes a series of natural disasters. Floods and landslides occured in various areas and claimed lives and materials. In addition to the impact in the form of material losses and physical damage to infrastructure, disasters also affect a person’s psychological condition. To illustrate, with psychological conditions that have been weak due to the shock of experiencing a disaster, the survivors have to live in evacuation shelters in very limited conditions.
Responding to the impact of the disaster, Universitas Indonesia (UI) conducted Community Service activity (pengmas) under the coordination of the Crisis Center of Faculty of Nursing (FIK) UI and UI Peduli, as well as in collaboration with Bogor Health Office. The community service activity was in the form of psychosocial support and stress management for disaster victims in RT 1 RW 2 Tegalega, Bogor City, West Java.
“This activity is conducted due to the flood that happened in Bogor (12/10/2022), especially the affected area Tegalega,” said Head of Community Service Ns. Giur Hargiana, M.Kep., Sp.Kep.J. He explained the program of UI Peduli that was implemented, namely psychosocial assistance and stress management which is divided by age group, such as the elderly group, the adult group, the school-age group, the children group, the group of mothers with toddlers , and the group of pregnant women, and the group of mothers with babies.
In response to this program of UI Peduli, drg. Firy, as Ka.Sie PTM Keswa Bogor city, explained from the data (10/13/2022) obtained, as many as 17 elderly residents with the condition of 2 of them being sick, while 16 children, 3 toddlers, 2 pregnant women, and 49 adults were also affected. Several residents in the evacuation said they felt scared and traumatized to the point where they felt weak and had body aches.
Psychosocial problems in natural disasters really need special attention. Concerned about these conditions, UI Peduli team went directly to the evacuation site at Jami Nurul Ikhlas Mosque on Veteran Street Number 44, Central Bogor, Bogor City, West Java (14/10/2022).
This activity was initiated by Ners Giur with the involvement of two students from the Master of Nursing Program specializing in mental health nursing, namely Ns. Fandy Yoduke, S.Kep and Ns. Nurhalimah, S.Kep., along with students from the 16th batch of ental health nursing specialist program who are currently in residency in Bogor. Before the small group activities started, every resident in the evacuation center and volunteers were provided with stress management techniques such as breathing relaxation, 5 finger hypnosis, though stopping, and progressive muscle relaxation techniques.
Furthermore, they were included in a small group which began with screening for SRQ-29 in adults. Also, psychosocial support interventions were carried out according to the age group. In the elderly group, residents were asked to demonstrate brain exercises and guess pictures. Then in the adult group, the residents were given Apple games, Banana Jump, numbers games, and counting 1-6 using two hands. Meanwhile, the children group was invited to sing several songs, play train games and singing “Naik Kereta Api” song, and color pictures.
Different from the toddler group, support was given in the form of games such as picking up balls and putting them in a basket, building a small tower of blocks, putting peanuts in a bottle while counting, drawing, and coloring. In the group of pregnant women, the residents were invited to convey five positive things they still have and write down five things that can prevent stress on paper.
In this community service, Ibu Cinta (Atalia Praratya, Wife of the Governor of West Java); Mayor of Bogor Bima Arya Sugiarto; West Java Chief of Regional Police Inspector General Pol. Suntana; and the Muspida ranks in Bogor were involved in this activity that made the atmosphere warmer in terms of psychosocial support. The activity carried out by the service team received appreciation from the local government leaders and the representative from Bogor Health Office. Atalia hopes that residents will always be vigilant and follow the government’s recommendations. She also reminded residents, if extreme weather occurs, please move to a safer location for safety. During her visit, Atalia also entertained and took the time to talk with the residents.
The head of the RW and local cadres said that the disaster-affected residents who were in the evacuation sites still needed social support from the community. They expressed their gratitude for the support received from UI Peduli and the government, which was very helpful to meet the emergency needs and also handle the residents’ trauma.
