Secondary trauma, empathy and perceived stress in adults: the Bolu hotel fire

Aims: On January 21, 2025, a fire broke out on the Grand Kartal Hotel in Bolu province and 78 people, at least 36 of them children, were killed. The fire is a multi-dimensional disaster due to the magnitude of human life loss. This study aims to investigate the associations between secondary trauma, perceived stress, and empathy among adult individuals who were indirect witnesses of the Bolu Grand Kartal Hotel fire. Methods: The study was conducted with 385 participants (247 women and 138 men). Data were collected using a Sociodemographic Data Form, the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), the Perceived Stress Scale, the Toronto Empathy Questionnaire, and the Indirect Trauma Scale Related to Disaster Exposure through Media. Data analysis was carried out using IBM SPSS Statistics 27. Pearson correlation analysis were used to evaluate the correlations among variables. Besides, independent samples t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were applied. Results: It was found that secondary and indirect trauma significantly predicted empathy, and that empathy had a significant effect on perceived stress. In addition, empathy was determined to have a partial mediating role in the relationship between trauma exposure and stress. Moreover, increases in empathy and trauma-related symptoms were observed among individuals who were frequently exposed to media content related to the fire. Conclusion: The findings of the study are considered important in terms of understanding the psychological effects following disasters. The results reveal the need for psychological support at the societal level after traumatic events. In this respect, informational and support programs aimed at reducing the negative effects of media exposure may be beneficial.