Emotional experiences and individual and community coping strategies following the 2026 earthquakes, Morón - Venezuela

Abstract

Purpose: To understand and interpret the lived experiences of the emotional impact following the 2026 earthquakes in the population of Morón, Venezuela, exploring the meanings attributed to the event, stress responses, and individual and community coping processes based on the perspectives of direct survivors, mental health professionals, and local community leaders.

Methodological framework: A qualitative study with a phenomenological-hermeneutic approach was conducted in Morón, Carabobo State. Participants included direct survivors of the seismic event and mental health professionals from the affected areas. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews and focus groups, and analyzed through an interpretive process involving the identification of units of meaning, categories, and emerging themes.

Resulting findings: Three central themes emerged: the transformation of the home from a space of security into a source of threat; the persistence of bodily arousal, hypervigilance, and sleep disturbances; and the deployment of coping strategies at both the individual level (family focus, spirituality, and routine restructuring) and the community level (neighborly solidarity and collective support networks).

Conclusions: The emotional impact of the earthquake transcended material losses, involving profound transformations in the perception of security, subjective well-being, and community bonds. These findings support the need for comprehensive psychosocial interventions that strengthen local networks and complement individual clinical care.