Emotional and behavioral impacts of the 2023 Turkey earthquake on children: A qualitative study
Children and Youth Services Review, cilt.189, 2026 (SSCI, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 189
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2026.109168
- Dergi Adı: Children and Youth Services Review
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Child Development & Adolescent Studies, CINAHL, EBSCO Education Source, Education Abstracts, Educational research abstracts (ERA), Psycinfo, Public Affairs Index, Social Sciences Abstracts, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Education Source Ultimate (EBSCO)
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Children, Children’sreactions, Earthquake, Qualitativestudy, Trauma
- Sivas Cumhuriyet Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Purpose: This study aims to examine the emotional and behavioral responses of children to the devastating earthquake that occurred in Turkey on February 6, 2023, from the perspective of their mothers. Design and methods: This qualitative study was conducted with 10 volunteer mothers residing in a student dormitory in a different city after leaving 11 provinces affected by the earthquake. Data were collected through face-to-face, in-depth interviews using a semi-structured interview form. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. Qualitative content analysis was employed for data evaluation. Results: The qualitative data analysis revealed four main themes consisting of eight categories: (1) Children’s reactions during the earthquake (physical and behavioral), (2) Continuing reactions observed after the earthquake (behavioral and emotional), (3) Children’s responses to disruptions in family functioning (emotional, psychological, economic), and (4) Children’s responses to family recovery efforts (hopefulness). Practice implications: The findings suggest that both children and their families experienced significant difficulties during and after the earthquake, with children displaying physical, emotional, and behavioral symptoms. Another significant finding is that mothers, despite the numerous challenges they faced, developed coping strategies to address these difficulties. Enhancing family resilience and well-being, as well as supporting children’s emotional health in the aftermath of such disasters, are critical areas of focus.