The explosion incident in the port of Rajaei, which resulted in the death and injury of dozens of people, is not just an industrial tragedy, but a traumatic event with widespread psychological and social dimensions for workers, families, and the entire Iranian society. This incident, along with a series of similar events such as the Plasco building collapse, the Sanchi ship explosion, the Ukrainian plane crash, the Metropl Abadan incident, the Tabas mine, and others, are signs of a recurring pattern in the management of crisis, the lack of mental safety infrastructure, and disregard for the mental health of society.

From a social psychology perspective, such atrocities have led to the formation of traumatic memories at a national level; memories that become more active and painful with each new event, giving rise to emotional states such as chronic insecurity, structural distrust, public anger, and psychological numbness. In such conditions, the collective psyche becomes deeply fragmented and traditional support systems and institutions lose their effectiveness.

This article examines the effects of collective trauma resulting from this incident using a psychosocial approach and drawing on theories of social psychology, developmental psychology, post-disaster psychology, and systems theory. The focus of the article is on three key levels: the surviving workers of the incident, the families of the victims, and the affected local community. At all three levels, signs of complex grief, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), social capital collapse, and decreased resilience are observed.

Necessity and importance of the subject.

The repetition of industrial accidents in Iran is indicative of a deep gap between expected safety standards and the realities of work environments. In addition to financial and human losses, these disasters have widespread psychological consequences that are often overlooked. Studies have shown that the collective trauma resulting from these events can lead to psychological disorders such as PTSD, depression, complicated grief, and chronic anxiety. On the other hand, increasing distrust towards responsible institutions, public denial or normalization of disasters, severely weakens the capacity for social resilience. At the individual level, survivors and families of victims are faced with crises such as survivor guilt, economic anxiety, and a collapse of meaning in life. At the societal level, repeated disasters without proper accountability weaken social capital and hinder the reconstruction of collective psyche. Therefore, a deep psychological analysis and the design of multi-level intervention strategies are an undeniable necessity for managing such crises in the future.

Psychological consequences of collective trauma after the Bandar Rajaei incident.

Surviving Workers: From Survival to Identity Crisis.

Workers who have survived the explosion in the Rajai port are not just physical survivors; they are often also “psychological survivors” who struggle with long-term consequences and complexities. According to field studies conducted by a group of researchers (1), more than 60% of survivors of severe industrial accidents experience symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after the incident. These symptoms include sudden flashbacks, avoidance of the workplace, insomnia, difficulty concentrating, and increased nervousness.

These disorders are usually chronic and resistant to treatment in industrial environments; as reminders of the incident (such as sounds, smells, or work equipment) often still exist in the workplace. (3) Returning to the workplace for many of these individuals is like returning to the scene of the incident, and this situation can lead to job performance deterioration and decreased productivity.

In addition to PTSD, many workers are affected by a phenomenon called Survivor Guilt; a situation in which the survivor is faced with the paralyzing thought: why did I survive and others did not? This unconscious guilt is one of the key factors in the development of severe depression, isolation, and low self-esteem in survivors. (4).

From a developmental psychology perspective, the continuation of this situation can lead to a change or loss of professional identity. A scientific study (5) has shown that 45% of surviving workers have no desire to return to their previous location or profession, and 30% have experienced a type of “professional alienation”. This phenomenon is analyzed as a disruption in the individual-organizational subsystem in the systems theory, with consequences such as economic instability, hidden unemployment, and job migration.

Families of victims: Complex grief, economic anxiety, and social anger.

Families who have lost their loved ones in this tragedy are not only facing the usual mourning, but also a complicated and delayed grief; especially in cases where the victims’ bodies are not identifiable or not buried. (6) According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), such situations disrupt the grieving process and increase the likelihood of chronic symptoms such as denial, anger, depression, and impaired functioning.

On the other hand, many of these families are struggling with economic crises; as the usual breadwinner is often the main victim of the family. Research has shown that in the working class, economic pressure after a loss is sometimes more important than emotional distress. (7) This situation is an example of existential anxiety, which plays a key role in the transmission of trauma to children in the theory of intergenerational damages.

In the social dimension, one of the common consequences of such disasters is collective anger. In recent industrial accidents in Iran, 78% of families have held responsible entities such as employers, safety inspectors, or government structures accountable for the tragedy. (8) In the absence of responsive channels, this anger can lead to structural distrust and weaken social cohesion.

Local community: Deep wounds of the collective psyche.

From the perspective of social psychology and systems theory, the society of Hormozgan province and even the entire country are considered as living and affected entities by disasters, and have suffered from psychological disorders. One of the signs of this disorder is the decrease in public trust in responsible institutions. Research shows that trust in promises of safety and official accountability decreases by up to 35% after each incident and takes years to rebuild. (9).

Alongside this erosion of trust, the repetition of atrocities without effective response leads to collective numbing in society; a phenomenon known as “the paradox of empathy” (10): the more the number of atrocities increases, the less the public’s emotional reaction. This phenomenon is also observed in the analysis of social media content: a decrease in messages of sympathy, an increase in phrases like “we have become accustomed” and a lack of inclination towards civic participation.

In the collective unconscious layer, society may also move towards negative archetypes such as “eternal victim” or “dark shadow”. (11) If these patterns remain active and are not replaced by healing narratives, they can reinforce a culture of passivity, fear, and fatalism.

Buttocks.

The explosion incident in Bandar Rajaei is an example of mass trauma, the effects of which can be observed at individual, familial, and societal levels. The findings of this article show that this event is not just an industrial accident, but has caused a psychological rupture in public trust, collective resilience, and social cohesion.

On an individual level, surviving workers struggle with chronic symptoms of PTSD, depression, feelings of guilt, and occupational identity crisis. On a family level, we are faced with complicated grief, financial pressure, and a sense of being ignored, which can lead to collective anger and disruption of social harmony. At a societal level, we also face the decline of social capital, structural distrust, psychological numbness, and the activation of old narratives of collective weakness.

Based on this, psychological-social interventions should be multi-level, systematic, and evidence-based. As long as mental health is not recognized as a vital component in macro policies, similar tragedies will not only be repeated, but their effects will accumulate in the deep layers of society’s psyche. Therefore, society’s psyche needs healing, reconstruction, and investment, which can only be achieved through recognition, intervention, and responsiveness.

Notes:

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