Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms and Post-Traumatic Growth Among Physicians After the February 6, 2023 Earthquakes in Turkey.

Abstract

The February 2023 earthquakes in Turkey exposed frontline resident physicians to personal trauma, occupational stress, and the psychological burden of caring for traumatized survivors. This study aimed to evaluate post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, post-traumatic growth (PTG), and associated factors among resident physicians in Turkey after the earthquakes. A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online survey administered to resident physicians at the Faculty of Medicine of XXX University between October and November 2023. The survey consisted of sociodemographic characteristics, earthquake-related exposure variables, the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), and the PTG Inventory. A total of 157 physicians participated, with a mean age of 29.6 ± 4.25 years and 7.6% reported receiving psychological treatment after the disaster. The mean PCL-5 score was 33.8 ± 18.4, with 23.6% meeting criteria for probable PTSD. The mean PTG score was 46.2 ± 26.9. A moderate positive correlation was observed between PTSD and PTG (r = 0.439, p < 0.001). In bivariate analysis, only religiosity showed a statistically significant association with PTSD (χ²(2) = 6.547, p = 0.038), with the highest prevalence among moderately religious physicians (31.0%). In the multivariable model, no independent predictor was significantly associated with PTSD symptoms. Higher PTG scores were independently associated with male gender (B = 8.55, 95% CI: 0.27-16.82, p = 0.043), greater religiosity (B = 7.90, 95% CI: 1.70-14.10, p = 0.013), and previous trauma experience (B = 10.48, 95% CI: 1.43-19.53, p = 0.024). After the earthquakes, physicians demonstrated moderate levels of PTG, and approximately one-quarter exhibited PTSD symptoms, highlighting the need for ongoing mental health monitoring and accessible psychological support.