The relation between earthquake stress coping strategies and post-earthquake trauma level.

Abstract

The study aims to determine the trauma level of individuals who have experienced and witnessed the earthquake disaster and to reveal the strategies they used to cope with the stress of the earthquake. This cross-sectional and descriptive research population includes adults residing in Türkiye (n = 760). The IBM SPSS software was used to analyze the data, while t test and ANOVA tests were conducted for between-group comparison. Correlation analysis was conducted to evaluate the correlation between the variables. The study revealed that women, single individuals, associate degree graduates, those with income below minimum wage, residents of earthquake-affected cities, people who lost relatives in the earthquake, lived in non-earthquake-resistant houses, had active fault lines in their city, and lacked earthquake education had higher post-earthquake trauma levels. A negative correlation was found between age and trauma, while a positive correlation emerged between age and coping strategies. Religious coping was positively linked to emotive limitation and cognitive structure, while positive reappraisal and seeking social support were negatively associated with behavioral, emotive, cognitive, and sleep problems. These findings suggest that psychosocial support and education cannot overlook individual and geographical differences.