Examining the Mediating Role of Doomscrolling in the Association between Earthquake Fear and Mental Well-being

Sinan Okur

doi:10.33418/education.1673877

TR EN

Deprem Korkusu ile Mental İyi Oluş Arasındaki İlişkide Doomscrolling'in Aracı Rolünün İncelenmesi

Öz

Bu çalışmada, yetişkin bireylerde deprem korkusu ile mental iyi oluş arasındaki ilişkide doomscrolling davranışının aracı rolü incelenmiştir. Deprem korkusunun belirsizlik ve kaygıyı artırarak doomscrolling davranışını tetiklediği, bunun da mental iyi oluşu olumsuz etkilediği öngörülmektedir. Dijital medya kullanımının afet sonrası psikolojik etkilerle bağlantılı olabilir ve doomscrolling davranışı bireylerin iyi oluşunu olumsuz etkileyebilir. Bu kapsamda, yaş ortalaması 22.44 olan toplam 378 yetişkin katılımcı ile bu araştırma gerçekleştirilmiştir. Çalışma kapsamında Deprem Korkusu Ölçeği, Doomscrolling Ölçeği ve Warwick-Edinburgh Mental İyi Oluş Ölçeği kullanılmıştır. Araştırma verileri çevrim içi şekilde toplanmıştır. Verilerin analizi yapısal eşitlik modellemesi kullanılarak gerçekleştirilmiştir. Ayrıca, aracı değişkenin anlamlılığı için bootstrapping yönteminden faydalanılmıştır. Korelasyon analizinde deprem korkusunun mental iyi oluş ile negatif ve doomscrolling ile pozitif yönde anlamlı ilişkili olduğu saptanmıştır. Ek olarak, doomscrolling ile mental iyi oluş arasındaki ilişki negatif yönde anlamlıdır. Yapısal eşitlik modellemesinde ise doomscrollingin deprem korkusu ile mental iyi oluş arasındaki ilişkide tam aracı rol oynadığı belirlenmiştir. Araştırma, deprem korkusunun bireyleri doomscrolling davranışına yönlendirdiğini ve bunun mental iyi oluşu olumsuz etkilediğini ortaya koymaktadır. Elde edilen bulgular, afet dönemlerinde bilinçli medya kullanımına yönelik müdahale programlarının geliştirilmesi gerektiğini göstermektedir. Özellikle kriz anlarında dijital medya tüketiminin düzenlenmesi bireylerin iyilik halini artırmada önemli bir strateji olabilir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Deprem korkusu , Doomscrolling , Mental iyi oluş , Yapısal eşitlik modellemesi

Examining the Mediating Role of Doomscrolling in the Association between Earthquake Fear and Mental Well-being

Abstract

This study examines the mediating role of doomscrolling behavior in the relationship between earthquake fear and mental well-being among adults. It is hypothesized that earthquake fear increases uncertainty and anxiety, triggering doomscrolling behavior, which in turn negatively affects mental well-being. Digital media use may be interrelated with psychological effects following disasters, and doomscrolling behavior can have a detrimental impact on individuals' well-being. In this context, the study was conducted with a total of 378 adult participants (313 female, 82.8%; 65 male, 17.2%), with a mean age of 22.44 (SD = 5.45). The Earthquake Fear Scale, Doomscrolling Scale, and Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale were conducted in the study. The research data were collected online, and the analysis was carried out using structural equation modeling (SEM). Additionally, the bootstrapping method was employed to test the significance of the mediating variable. Correlation analysis revealed that earthquake fear was significantly and negatively associated with mental well-being and positively associated with doomscrolling. Furthermore, the relationship between doomscrolling and mental well-being was found to be significantly negative. Structural equation modeling confirmed that doomscrolling played a full mediating role in the relationship between earthquake fear and mental well-being. The study demonstrates that earthquake fear leads individuals to engage in doomscrolling behavior, which in turn negatively impacts their mental well-being. The findings highlight the need for intervention programs promoting mindful media consumption during disaster periods. Regulating digital media consumption during crises may serve as a crucial strategy for enhancing individuals' well-being.

Keywords

Earthquake fear , doomscrolling , mental well-being , structural equation modeling

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Other Fields of Education (Other)

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Sinan Okur ^*
0000-0002-3439-5907
Türkiye

Early Pub Date

July 22, 2025

Publication Date

September 8, 2025

Submission Date

April 11, 2025

Acceptance Date

July 11, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2025 Number: 58

DOI

https://doi.org/10.33418/education.1673877

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA89DX82NU

APA

Okur, S. (2025). Examining the Mediating Role of Doomscrolling in the Association between Earthquake Fear and Mental Well-being. Educational Academic Research, 58, 39-47. https://doi.org/10.33418/education.1673877

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