Mahmoud KHODABANDEH
Turkish Journal of Public Health - 2025;23(3):376-377
Dear Editor, That night, I'll never forget. In late June 2025, during a series of aerial attacks in the region, I was on a night shift at the pediatric emergency department of a major referral hospital in Tehran. A five-year-old child was brought in with restlessness and poor appetite. The pediatric resident asked me to examine him. Everything was normal: physical examination, lab results, vital signs. But the child wouldn't settle, gently rubbing his arm over and over. When I softly asked, "Why are you upset?", he suddenly replied, "I'm scared the bombs will come again..." There were no wounds, no fever. Only fear, loneliness, and confusion. In that moment, I realized we were fully prepared to treat physical injuries, but not the invisible wounds of the soul. This narrative has been constructed to preserve the child's anonymity and confidentiality. In recent crisis-related events, it became evident that while hospitals are well-prepared for treating physical injuries, there is still a critical gap in providing timely psychological first aid and emotional support for children. Many children present with non-specific somatic complaints-such as restlessness or poor appetite-that may actually reflect emotional distress rather than physical illness. Recognizing and addressing these hidden psychological needs motivated me to write this letter, aiming to highlight the overlooked role of emergency healthcare settings in offering early psychosocial support to young patients during crises.
