Relationship of Optimism and Gender to Coping with Eai1hquake Stress

Abstract

The purpose ofthis study was to investigate if college students' coping strategies 18 months following the August 17th and November 12th earthquakes (the Marmara Earthquakes) varied according to their gender and level of optimism. A volunteer sample of 161 college students who had experienced the quakes was used. The CSS (Aysan, 1994) and the YYT (Aydin & Tezer, 1991) were used in data collection. Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) was used in data analysis. The results show ed that students' scores on the three ofthe subscales of the CSS (social support, problem solving, and avoidance) did not differ according to the ir level of optimism (higher and lower) or the ir gender. The findings were interpreted in accordance with the existing literature on coping and optimism. Limitations of the study, r commendations for future re search and mental health professionals were discussed.

Keywords

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Deprem Stresiyle Basa Çıkmanın İyimserlik ve Cinsiyete Göre İncelenmesi

Abstract

Bu arastirma 17 Agustos ve 12 Kasim 1999 tarihlerinde Türkiye' de gerçeklesen Marmara bölgesi depremlerini yasayan üniversite ögrencileri üzerine yapilmistir. Arastirmanin amaci, deprem felaketini yasayan üniversite ögrencilerinin depremden 18 ay sonraki deprem stresiyle basaçikmada kullandiklari stratejilerin iyimserlik düzeylerine ve cinsiyete göre anlamli bir fark gösterip göstermedigini saptamaktir. Arastirmaya 161 gönüllü depremzede ögrenci katilmistir. Veriler BSÖ (Aysan, 1994) ve YYT (Aydin ve Tezer, 1991) ile toplanmistir. Verilerin analizinde çok yönlü ve çok degiskenli MANOVA kullanilmistir. Arastirmanin bulgulari, depremzede ögrencilerin BSÖ' nin üç alt ölçeginden (sosyal destek arama, problem çözme ve kaçinma) aldiklari puanlar arasinda iyimserlik düzeylerine (yüksek ve düsük) ve cinsiyete göre anlamli bir fark bulunmadigini göstermistir. Bulgular basaçikma ve iyimserlik iliskilerinin incelendigi literatür isiginda tartisilmistir. Arastirmanin bulgularina dayali olarak ruhsagligi hizmetlerini sunan uygulayicilara ve gelecekte yapilacak arastirmalara yönelik öneriler sunulmustur.

Keywords

• ANAHTAR SÖZCÜKLER: Deprem, stresle başaçıkma, iyimserlik

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