Psychological Impact of the February 6th Earthquake in Turkey: A Study on PTSD, Depression, and Anxiety

Abstract

The study aimed to examine the psychological effects of the earthquake. Seven hundred and forty earthquake survivors who experienced the February 6, 2023, earthquake was examined for relationships between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, involuntary thoughts, and avoidance behaviors. The study utilized a sociodemographic information form, the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PTSD-5), the Impact of Events Scale (IES), the Beck Anxiety Scale (BAS), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). The data were analyzed using the SPSS 25.0 software, and the presence of extreme data and normality distribution was checked before analysis. Results showed a positive correlation between the level of PTSD and the impact of the events, depression, and anxiety levels among earthquake survivors. While a positive relationship was found between the effects of events and depression, no significant relationship was observed with anxiety levels. A positive relationship was also found between depression and anxiety levels. According to the regression analysis, the impact of events, depression, and anxiety variables positively predicted the level of PTSD, with a total variance of 37%. Our findings highlight the importance of classifying earthquake survivors through psychiatric and psychosocial assessments to improve psychological intervention programs and support for future disasters.

Keywords

• Anxiety
• depression
• mental health
• earthquake survivors
• post-traumatic stress disorder

6 Şubat Türkiye Depremi’nin Psikolojik Etkileri: PTSD, Depresyon ve Anksiyete Üzerine Bir Çalışma

Abstract

Çalışma depremin psikolojik etkilerini incelemeyi amaçlamıştır. Çalışmada, 6 Şubat 2023 depremini yaşamış yedi yüz kırk depremzedenin travma sonrası stres bozukluğu (TSSB), depresyon, anksiyete, istemsiz düşünceler ve kaçınma davranışları arasındaki ilişkiler incelenmiştir. Çalışmada sosyodemografik bilgi formu, Travma Sonrası Stres Bozukluğu Kontrol Listesi (TSSB-5), Olayların Etkisi Ölçeği (IES), Beck Anksiyete Ölçeği (BAS) ve Beck Depresyon Envanteri (BDE) kullanılmıştır. Veriler SPSS 25.0 yazılımı kullanılarak analiz edilmiş ve analizden önce uç verilerin varlığı ve normallik dağılımı kontrol edilmiştir. Sonuçlar, depremzedeler arasında TSSB düzeyi ile olayların etkisi, depresyon ve anksiyete düzeyleri arasında pozitif bir ilişki olduğunu göstermiştir. Olayların etkisi ile depresyon arasında pozitif bir ilişki bulunurken, kaygı düzeyleri ile anlamlı bir ilişki gözlenmemiştir. Depresyon ve anksiyete düzeyleri arasında da pozitif bir ilişki bulunmuştur. Regresyon analizine göre, olayların etkisi, depresyon ve anksiyete değişkenleri TSSB düzeyini toplam %37'lik bir varyansla pozitif yönde yordamıştır. Bulgularımız, gelecekteki afetlere yönelik psikolojik müdahale programlarını ve desteği geliştirmek için depremzedelerin psikiyatrik ve psikososyal değerlendirmeler yoluyla sınıflandırılmasının önemini vurgulamaktadır.

Keywords

• Anksiyete
• depresyon
• ruh sağlığı
• depremzedeler
• travma sonrası stres bozukluğu

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