WHO is creating new opportunities to reach adolescents and their caregivers affected by the devastating earthquakes that struck south-eastern Türkiye on 6 February 2023. The Early Adolescent Skills for Emotions (EASE) is an evidence-based group psychological intervention for adolescents aged 10–15 years affected by internalized stress and symptoms of anxiety or depression in communities exposed to adversity. To meet local needs, it has now been adapted into Turkish by the WHO Country Office in Türkiye.
The EASE package is implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Family and Social Services. Under the Social Inclusion of Persons with Mental Disabilities Project, it is jointly funded by the European Union and WHO. Following a rigorous process of translation, proofreading and technical quality control to ensure the package is accurate and meaningful for local use, pilots have been carried out in 2 provinces.
Three years after the earthquakes, for many young people the effects have extended well beyond the initial shock, manifesting as stress, sadness, anxiety, withdrawal and other signs of emotional distress. Children and adolescents across affected provinces continue to face major disruption to daily life, family routines and their sense of safety. Therefore, strengthening community-based support for mental health and psychosocial needs is an essential component of recovery.
Accessible interventions
The EASE package has been successfully adapted to the national context, and facilitator training sessions have built local delivery capacity. Developed by WHO and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the intervention is built on adapted elements of cognitive behavioural therapy. It is designed to be delivered by trained and supervised non-specialist helpers, making it particularly relevant where specialist child and adolescent mental health services are limited.
“Many adolescents in earthquake-affected areas have been exposed to prolonged stress, uncertainty and disruption in their daily lives. EASE provides a structured and evidence-based approach to help them understand and manage their emotions, while also strengthening the role of parents or other caregivers in supporting their recovery,” said Şebnem Avşar Kurnaz, psychologist and Technical Officer at the WHO Country Office in Türkiye. “In such contexts, scaling up accessible, community-based interventions is critical to ensure that young people are not left without the psychosocial support they need.”
Following the initial phases, a structured rollout plan has been initiated to expand the intervention across additional provinces. Through this intervention, adolescents participate in weekly sessions over 7 weeks, while their caregivers take part in 3 sessions designed to strengthen supportive parenting and help reinforce at home the skills learned by adolescents.
Practical tools
For many health professionals, the value of the programme lies in its practical, adolescent-friendly tools. “Through this training, I was able to see more clearly how I can better help adolescents in this age group understand their emotions,” said Makbule Bayraktar, a psychologist at Antakya Social Service Centre. “For example, the Feelings Jar helps them recognize the different emotions they experience in a single day. Breathing exercises also give them an opportunity to calm down while coping with difficult emotions.”
“For a region shaped by disasters, displacement and socioeconomic disadvantages, this is an ideal programme,” added Onur Kuş, a psychologist at Defne Social Service Centre. “I believe it can play a preventive role against the mental health risks that this age group may face later in life.”
Yağmur Bahçeci, Child Development Specialist at Defne District Health Directorate, emphasized the long-term value of the intervention, noting that its practical and achievable structure can make a serious contribution over time and strengthen field work.
Strengthening coping skills
The impact of EASE can also be seen in Büyükdalyan Container City, where caregivers and adolescents who took part in the sessions described changes in everyday life at home.
One mother shared that, after the sessions, she began paying more attention to her children, setting healthier boundaries and speaking more calmly. “When my child shouts at me, I do not react immediately. I wait until we are both calm, then we talk,” she said. Another caregiver explained that in difficult moments, they now remember the messages from the sessions and try to understand their child better by listening more carefully and making eye contact.
Adolescents have also begun to use the skills beyond the sessions. One girl said she now practices the breathing exercises, especially in the evenings, because they help her relax. Another adolescent explained that she returns to the storybook and breathing techniques in her free time or whenever she feels overwhelmed or angry. These small but meaningful changes show how structured psychosocial support can strengthen coping skills not only during a session, but also in daily life.
Expanding access
As trainer Azat Duman points out, joint participation from both ministries is critical to ensuring the programme is delivered effectively and sustained over time. This institutional partnership is a key strength of the initiative, helping embed evidence-based mental health and psychosocial support within existing health and social service systems in the earthquake-affected region.
Now that the EASE package is publicly available in Turkish through WHO’s publication platform, the next phase will focus on expanding access. New trainings and counselling sessions are planned so that more adolescents and caregivers can benefit from timely, structured support. As the region continues to rebuild after the earthquakes, the Turkish adaptation of EASE offers a practical intervention and a reminder that recovery must include emotional healing, family connection and renewed hope for young people.