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Reflections of a Catastrophic Earthquake Disaster on Public Mental Health

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 June 2025

Salih Subari ,
Ilknur Demir ,
Alperen Kizikli ,
Bahadir Demir  and
Zeynel Abidin Ozturk
Salih Subari*
Affiliation:
https://ror.org/020vvc407 Gaziantep University Faculty of Medicine , Sahinbey Research and Application Hospital, Department of Geriatrics, Gaziantep, Turkey
Ilknur Demir
Affiliation:
https://ror.org/020vvc407 Gaziantep University Faculty of Medicine , Sahinbey Research and Application Hospital, Department of Geriatrics, Gaziantep, Turkey
Alperen Kizikli
Affiliation:
https://ror.org/020vvc407 Gaziantep University Faculty of Medicine , Sahinbey Research and Application Hospital, Department of Geriatrics, Gaziantep, Turkey
Bahadir Demir
Affiliation:
https://ror.org/020vvc407 Gaziantep University Faculty of Medicine , Sahinbey Research and Application Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Gaziantep, Turkey
Zeynel Abidin Ozturk
Affiliation:
https://ror.org/020vvc407 Gaziantep University Faculty of Medicine , Sahinbey Research and Application Hospital, Department of Geriatrics, Gaziantep, Turkey
*
Corresponding author: Salih Subari; Email: salihsubari@hotmail.com
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Abstract

Objectives

We aimed to reveal the psychological effects of old and young individuals after the earthquake by looking at their post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression situations.

Methods

Data collected by face-to-face survey method were analyzed. The 4 provinces (Hatay, Kahramanmaraş, Adıyaman, and Gaziantep) most affected by the 7.7 and 7.6 magnitude earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş, Turkey on February 6, 2023 were included in the study. Peritraumatic distress inventory, impact of events scale, and Beck depression inventory were applied to 300 people (150 old, 150 young).

Results

The presence of peritraumatic stress was observed in 94% (282 people), PTSD symptoms in 90% (270 people) and moderate to severe depression in 36.7% (110 people). When younger were compared with those elders, it was concluded that there was no significant difference in terms of presence of peritraumatic distress (49.6% vs. 50.4%, P=0.627), PTSD (49.6% vs. 50.4%, P=0.620) and moderate to severe depression (45.5% vs. 54.5%, P=0.258).

Conclusions

We found similar rates of PTSD and depression symptoms in older and younger adults exposed to earthquakes. Policies need to be developed to ensure psychological well-being after an earthquake disaster in the adult population regardless of age group.

Keywords

earthquakedepressionpost-traumatic stress disorder

Information

Type
Original Research
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 19 , 2025 , e168
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc

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