Posttraumatic stress disorder in the aftermath of the Turkey earthquake: exploring the role of demographics, level of exposure, and personality traits

Creative Commons License

Yılmaz Y., Güleç S., Sarıçam H.

Anxiety, Stress, & Coping, cilt.37, ss.1-12, 2024 (SSCI) identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 37
  • Basım Tarihi: 2024
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1080/10615806.2024.2376611
  • Dergi Adı: Anxiety, Stress, & Coping
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, PASCAL, ABI/INFORM, CINAHL, Educational research abstracts (ERA), EMBASE, MEDLINE, Psycinfo, Sociological abstracts, SportDiscus
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.1-12
  • Sivas Cumhuriyet Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Background and Objectives

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an important mental disorder that can develop after mass traumas such as earthquakes. In our study, we aimed to investigate the development of PTSD after the Turkey earthquake (6 February 2023) and its association with some demographic variables, personality traits, and psychological vulnerability.

Method

547 participants completed assessments of personality, disaster exposure, and PTSD symptoms. Multiple regression analyses were used to identify predictors of PTSD symptoms.

Results

PTSD scores were higher in women, single people, those with low educational level, those who witnessed someone else's injury or death, those who were injured, and those whose homes were destroyed. Physical injury, conscientiousness, marital status, income, and agreeableness predicted PTSD. Among these variables, physical injury was the strongest predictor of PTSD.

Conclusions

Psychological vulnerability, conscientiousness, physical injury, employment, witnessing someone else's injury, gender, and emotional stability predicted PTSD score in a significant way. Physical injury, conscientiousness, marital status, income, agreeableness predicted PTSD in a significant way.