Intense earthquake shakes mental health, leaves a nation traumatised

On 21 November, a regular Friday turned traumatic in Dhaka. The weekend calm was suddenly replaced by deep panic and fear as an intense 5.7-magnitude earthquake struck at 10:38am.

Afrina Sultana, a master's student at Dhaka University, lives on the sixth floor in Dhanmondi.

"When the earthquake occurred, I was in my room. Since I was feeling unwell, I initially mistook the shaking for a symptom of my illness, believing my head was merely trembling. But when the entire room began to shake violently, I realised it was an earthquake," she said.

Since it was Friday, all family members and neighbours were at home.

"​My father was calling my name, urging me to stand beside a pillar. My mother appeared disoriented, unsure of how to react. Our housekeeper was mopping the floor at the time; the force of the shaking was so immense that the water on the floor sloshed away. The noise was deafening—a sound of groaning wood and shattering glass that seemed to forecast the end. We could hear the sheer terror from the apartments around us as people began to scream," Afrina explained the situation.

Across Dhaka and several other districts, many people rushed out of their homes in panic as the ground shook for several seconds.

The earthquake stopped after a while, but it left a lasting impact on the nation's collective psyche. An hour passed, yet Afrina remained on the bed, her mind replaying the incident over and over.

"I kept seeing images of my neighbours crying during the shaking and of almost everyone seeking forgiveness. It felt as though everyone had narrowly escaped death. For the rest of the day, I was unable to focus on anything else; the incident completely consumed my thoughts," she continued.

"Is Dhaka safe to live in, given the seismic risks? What would the consequences have been if the earthquake had lasted longer?" Afrina asked.

"If the earthquake had lasted just ten more seconds, the entire city would have faced catastrophe," commented Engineer Md Riazul Islam, the Chairman of the Capital Development Authority (Rajuk).

The tremor lasted roughly 26 seconds and was one of the strongest felt in the country in recent years. At least 10 people, including a newborn, were killed and hundreds of others injured. At least 50 buildings in Dhaka tilted or developed major cracks following last morning's earthquake, according to Rajuk. 

"Instead of approaching a disaster in a structured way, we should try to cope with it through our psychological responses. That is why the most important thing is to be aware of such situations, to know how to protect ourselves in an unexpected disaster, and what steps to take during one."

Dr Helal Uddin Ahmed, mental health specialist

Barely 32 hours after struggling to cope with the trauma of this earthquake, three more mild tremors — measuring 3.3, 3.7 and 4.3 in magnitude — were felt.

A private service holder in Mohammadpur said living in a high-rise has now become a major source of anxiety for him. "I live with my elderly parents and children. I cannot go upstairs or downstairs quickly. Out of fear, I am even thinking of shifting to a lower-level flat," he said.

However, Dr Helal Uddin Ahmed, a mental health specialist, noted that people can experience panic attacks after a natural or man-made disaster occurs.

"That mental experience is not a weakness; it is a human, virtual human response. It generates an inner disturbance, a sense of insecurity, and because the memory of the event remains with them, there will always be a lingering fear of a similar event happening in the future," he explained.

"We must remember that while we are familiar with floods and storms, we are not as familiar with earthquakes. We have adapted our memory and understanding to floods and storms, but we haven't been able to do the same for earthquakes. That is why a sense of fear will persist within us," he added.

How to cope with the trauma? 

There are many ways. The most important way, according to Dr Ahmed, is to deal with it proactively, not reactively.

"If someone experiences panic, they may need medical attention or counselling, but that is a consequence. The main thing is that people need knowledge and awareness. Because, as we saw in yesterday's incident, more people were injured due to panic—jumping, freezing, or otherwise—than were actually physically harmed by the earthquake."

Reportedly, at least five students of Dhaka University were seriously injured after jumping from different dormitory buildings in panic during the earthquake.

"There is a knowledge gap, and because of this gap, our attitude changes."

"Instead of approaching a disaster in a structured way, we should try to cope with it through our psychological responses. That is why the most important thing is to be aware of such situations, to know how to protect ourselves in an unexpected disaster, and what steps to take during one."

After an earthquake, people often share their personal experiences on social media. Even following this recent earthquake, many shared videos captured on CCTV showing people rushing out of their homes, which then spread further online.

But according to Dr Md Shahanur Hossain, chairman of the Clinical Psychology Department at Dhaka University, social media also spreads videos and content that may trigger secondary trauma. He suggests implementing regulations to minimise content that increases fear or uncertainty.

He said that people often over-focus on traumatic events but the more frequently an event is discussed or revisited, the more permanent its memory can become. Individuals need to consciously allow themselves to process the experience normally. Excessive worrying about infrastructure risks can worsen anxiety too.

Dr Helal Uddin Ahmed expects that those who experience panic attacks will eventually return to their normal lives, resume daily activities, and maintain recreational routines. Only in cases of very severe distress does he recommend significant mental health intervention or classification under psychological care.