Mental Health Impact of the KahramanmaraşEarthquake: An Analysis of Acute Stress, Depression, and Anxiety Indicators
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PRACTICE AND RESEARCH, vol.47, no.3, pp.291-299, 2025 (ESCI, TRDizin)
- Publication Type: Article / Article
- Volume: 47 Issue: 3
- Publication Date: 2025
- Doi Number: 10.14744/cpr.2025.61338
- Journal Name: JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PRACTICE AND RESEARCH
- Journal Indexes: Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), EMBASE, Directory of Open Access Journals, TR DİZİN (ULAKBİM)
- Page Numbers: pp.291-299
- Keywords: Acute stress, anxiety, depression, earthquake
- Erciyes University Affiliated: Yes
Abstract
Objective: This study aimed to examine acute stress, depression, and anxiety symptoms among individuals who sought medical care at Erciyes University Medicine Faculty following the Kahramanmara & scedil;-centered earthquake in February 2023. Materials and Methods: The study included 51 individuals aged 18 to 75 who received treatment at Erciyes University Medicine Faculty between February 6 and March 6. Participants were from earthquake-affected provinces and were admitted because of physical health concerns. The inclusion criteria included being aged 18-75, experiencing earthquake exposure, and voluntarily participating. Exclusion criteria included cognitive impairment and refusal to participate in the study. Participants completed a sociodemographic data form, the Acute Stress Symptom Severity Scale (Adult Form), and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Data were analyzed using t-tests, the Mann-Whitney U test, Spearman correlations, and automatic linear regression. Results: Women had significantly higher HADS-Depression scores than men (p=0.031). Participants with limb loss also had higher depression scores (p=0.025). Witnessing a death in the debris was associated with increased anxiety (p=0.037). Individuals who were alone in the debris or who had a prior psychiatric history had higher ASBS (p=0.021; p=0.013) and HADS-Anxiety scores (p=0.028; p=0.040). Conclusion: Female gender, limb loss, witnessing a death, being alone in the debris, and a history of psychiatric illness emerged as significant riskfactors for acute stress, depression, and anxiety symptoms.These findings underline the importance of early psychological screening and targeted intervention strategies for at-risk populations in post-disaster settings.