The Impact of Turkey and Syria Earthquakes on University Students: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms, Meaning in Life, and Social Support
- PMID: 37504034
- PMCID: PMC10376520
- DOI: 10.3390/bs13070587
The Impact of Turkey and Syria Earthquakes on University Students: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms, Meaning in Life, and Social Support
Abstract
(1) Background: Earthquakes are natural disasters that often result in significant loss of life and property. The objective of this study is to explore the frequency of symptoms associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), levels of meaning in life (ML), and perceived social support (SS) among university students in the aftermath of the earthquake that occurred in Turkey and Syria in 2023. (2) Methods: This study utilizes a cross-sectional correlation design to achieve its objectives among 603 university students from two public universities using an online survey (via Google Forms). The survey was launched one month after the earthquake in Turkey and Syria and concluded on 6 April 2023. (3) Results: The results indicate that a total of 158 university students, constituting 26.20% of the sample, reported extreme symptoms of PTSD. The results also indicate that 184 students (30.51), and 140 students (23.22%) reported low levels of ML and SS, respectively. Female students were significantly more vulnerable to experiencing PTSD symptoms, as well as difficulties in finding ML and SS. Finally, results revealed that students who were pursuing postgraduate studies had a greater likelihood of exhibiting symptoms indicative of PTSD. (4) Conclusions: It is recommended that universities provide support services and resources for students experiencing PTSD symptoms.
Keywords: PTSD; Syria; Turkey; earthquake; meaning in life; social support; students.
Conflict of interest statement
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Similar articles
-
A scoping review of post-earthquake healthcare for vulnerable groups of the 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquakes.BMC Public Health. 2024 Apr 2;24(1):945. doi: 10.1186/s12889-024-18395-z. BMC Public Health. 2024. PMID: 38566072 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Perceived social support levels among university students following the 2011 earthquake in Van, Turkey.J Pak Med Assoc. 2018 Jul;68(7):1019-1023. J Pak Med Assoc. 2018. PMID: 30317294
-
Does a non-destructive earthquake cause posttraumatic stress disorder? A cross-sectional study.Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2013 May;22(5):295-9. doi: 10.1007/s00787-012-0348-8. Epub 2012 Nov 26. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2013. PMID: 23183912
-
Prevalence and predictors of posttraumatic stress disorder and depression among adolescents over 1 year after the Jiuzhaigou earthquake.J Affect Disord. 2020 Jan 15;261:1-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2019.09.071. Epub 2019 Sep 30. J Affect Disord. 2020. PMID: 31590064
-
The psychological impact of the Turkey-Syria earthquake on children: addressing the need for ongoing mental health support and global humanitarian response.Eur J Psychotraumatol. 2023;14(2):2249788. doi: 10.1080/20008066.2023.2249788. Eur J Psychotraumatol. 2023. PMID: 37682068 Free PMC article. Review.
Cited by
-
Gratitude practice helps undergraduates who experienced an earthquake in China find meaning in life.Sci Rep. 2024 May 13;14(1):10880. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-61256-3. Sci Rep. 2024. PMID: 38740823 Free PMC article.
-
Validating the Arabic version of the Connor-Davidson resilience scale among university students.PLoS One. 2023 Oct 24;18(10):e0293384. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0293384. eCollection 2023. PLoS One. 2023. PMID: 37874841 Free PMC article.
-
Psychometric Properties of the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist among the Lebanese Population Exposed to the Beirut Explosion: A Cross-Sectional Study during the COVID-19 Pandemic.Behav Neurol. 2023 Oct 3;2023:9286562. doi: 10.1155/2023/9286562. eCollection 2023. Behav Neurol. 2023. PMID: 37822368 Free PMC article.
References
-
- WHO Syria/Turkey Earthquakes Situation Report #7, March 8, 2023. [(accessed on 25 May 2023)]. Available online: https://reliefweb.int/report/syrian-arab-republic/syriaturkey-earthquake...
-
- Birkeland M.S., Blix I., Solberg Ø., Heir T. Does social support from family and friends work as a buffer against reactions to terrorism among Norwegian students? J. Loss Trauma. 2016;21:510–525.
-
- Steger M.F., Frazier P., Oishi S., Kaler M. The ML questionnaire: Assessing the presence of and search for ML. J. Couns. Psychol. 2006;53:80–93. doi: 10.1037/0022-0167.53.1.80. - DOI
Grants and funding
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Miscellaneous