Evaluation of post-traumatic symptoms and respiratory functions in university students exposed to earthquake (6 February 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes)

Background/Aim: Long-lasting psychological and physical problems have been reported in earthquake survivors. This study was planned to observe the relationship between mental symptoms and respiratory functions in university students exposed to earthquakes.

Material and Methods: In 2024, the study included 118 university students from Suleyman Demirel University, Türkiye. Of these, 57 were classified as Group 1 (earthquake-exposed) and 61 as Group 2 (non-exposed). Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms were evaluated with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL-5), depression tendency was assessed with Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), anxiety level was determined with Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and sleep problems were evaluated with Jenkin's Sleep Scale. Respiratory functions were measured using a spirometer (COSMED Pony FX® Spirometry).

Results: In the group comparison, MIP, MEP, FEV1, FVC, PEF were significantly lower, PTSD symptoms, anxiety level and depression tendency were significantly higher in Group 1, while the FEV1/FVC was similar between the groups. In addition, within each group, certain mental symptoms were found to be associated with specific respiratory functions.

Conclusion: This study found correlation between mental symptoms and respiratory functions. It is recommended to observe this effect again after natural disasters and to examine the change with intermittent measurements.