Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Levels in Medical Students who Experienced Türkiye Kahramanmaraş 2023 Earthquakei

Yıl 2024, Cilt: 7 Sayı: 3, 177 - 186, 30.12.2024

Elif Nur Yıldırım Öztürk , Vedat Karataş

https://doi.org/10.54803/sauhsd.1489266

Öz

Objective: Earthquakes have significant effects on both physical and mental health. One of the mental health effects is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study aimed to determine the level of PTSD and the variables associated with this level in a group of medical students who experienced the February 6, 2023 earthquake in Türkiye, centered on Kahramanmaraş.
Method: The study was cross-sectional. Data from 40 medical students were evaluated. A 15-question data collection form and a 20-item scale for determining the level of post-earthquake trauma were used for the study. The scale provides scores ranging from 20 to 100, and an increase in the score indicates an increase in the level of trauma. In this study, the Pearson correlation coefficient and Cohen's d were calculated as effect sizes. Ethics committee approval and institutional approval were obtained for this study.
Results: Twenty three of the students were male. Of the students, 31 had experienced loss of a loved one and 36 had experienced damage to residential building. The mean score of the students on the scale was 63.5±14.1. Gender (0.639), maternal education level (0.256), pre-earthquake income status (0.211), professional psychological support (0.785), loss of a loved one (0.166), damage to residential building (0.209), loss of property (0.544), and post-earthquake migration (0.399) were identified as variables associated with PTSD.
Conclusion: Most students were negatively affected by the recent earthquake and experienced medium PTSD. It is important to provide community and risk group based mental health support after the earthquake.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Earthquake, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD, Medical Students, Türkiye

Etik Beyan

Ethical approval was obtained from the Ankara University Rectorate Ethics Committee (number: 56786525-050.04.04/950166 date: 06.06.2023), and institutional approval was obtained from the Ankara University Faculty of Medicine Dean's Office. Permission was obtained from the owners of the scale that was part of the data collection

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Levels in Medical Students who Experienced Türkiye Kahramanmaraş 2023 Earthquake

Öz

Objective: Earthquakes have significant effects on both physical and mental health. One of the mental health effects is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study aimed to determine the level of PTSD and the variables associated with this level in a group of medical students who experienced the February 6, 2023 earthquake in Türkiye, centered on Kahramanmaraş.
Method: The study was cross-sectional. Data from 40 medical students were evaluated. A 15-question data collection form and a 20-item scale for determining the level of post-earthquake trauma were used for the study. The scale provides scores ranging from 20 to 100, and an increase in the score indicates an increase in the level of trauma. In this study, the Pearson correlation coefficient and Cohen's d were calculated as effect sizes. Ethics committee approval and institutional approval were obtained for this study.
Results: Twenty three of the students were male. Of the students, 31 had experienced loss of a loved one and 36 had experienced damage to residential building. The mean score of the students on the scale was 63.5±14.1. Gender (0.639), maternal education level (0.256), pre-earthquake income status (0.211), professional psychological support (0.785), loss of a loved one (0.166), damage to residential building (0.209), loss of property (0.544), and post-earthquake migration (0.399) were identified as variables associated with PTSD.
Conclusion: Most students were negatively affected by the recent earthquake and experienced medium PTSD. It is important to provide community and risk group based mental health support after the earthquake.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Earthquake, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD, Medical Students, Türkiye

Etik Beyan

Ethical approval was obtained from the Ankara University Rectorate Ethics Committee (number: 56786525-050.04.04/950166 date: 06.06.2023), and institutional approval was obtained from the Ankara University Faculty of Medicine Dean's Office. Permission was obtained from the owners of the scale that was part of the data collection.

Kaynakça

• Doocy S, Daniels A, Packer C, Dick A, Kirsch T. The human impact of earthquakes: A historical review of events 1980-2009 and systematic literature review. PLoS Currents. 2013; 5. doi: 10.1371/currents.dis.67bd14fe457f1db0b5433a8ee20fb833
• Giorgadze T, Maisuradze I, Japaridze A, Utiashvili Z, Abesadze G. Disasters and their consequences for public health. Georgian Medical News. 2011; (194): 59-63. doi: 10.4067/S0717- 75182012000100007
• Nola IA. Earthquakes and their environmental, medical and public health impacts. Salud Pública de México. 2018; 60: 16-22.
• Tansey CM, Pringle J, Davé A, Boulanger R, Hunt M. Earthquakes to floods: A scoping review of health-related disaster research in low- and middle-income countries. PLoS Currents. 2018; 10: ecurrents.dis.57d98a902a326361d88d54521e68b016. doi: 10.1371/currents.dis.57d98a902a326361d88d54521e68b016
• Saeed SA, Gargano SP. Natural disasters and mental health. International Review of Psychiatry. 2022; 34(1): 16-25. doi: 10.1080/09540261.2022.2037524
• Dai W, Chen L, Lai Z, Li Y, Wang J, Liu A. The incidence of post-traumatic stress disorder among survivors after earthquakes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Psychiatry. 2016; 16: 188. doi: 10.1186/s12888-016-0891-9
• Atwoli L, Stein DJ, Koenen KC, McLaughlin KA. Epidemiology of posttraumatic stress disorder: Prevalence, correlates, and consequences. Current Opinion in Psychiatry. 2015; 28(4): 307-311. doi: 10.1097/YCO.0000000000000167
• Mitchell AM, Sakraida TJ, Kim Y. PTSD, acute stress disorder, and adjustment disorder. Focus. 2016; 14(4): 500-509. doi: 10.1176/appi.focus.140406
• Burnett HJ Jr, Helm HW Jr. Relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder, resilience, and religious orientation and practices among university student earthquake survivors in Haiti. Int J Emerg Ment Health. 2013; 15(2): 97-104.
• Fu Y, Chen Y, Wang J, Shi Z, Wang L, Zhang X, Zhang N, et al. Analysis of prevalence of PTSD and its influencing factors among college students after the Wenchuan earthquake. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health. 2013; 7: 1. doi: 10.1186/1753-2000-7-1
• Başoglu M, Kilic C, Salcioglu E, Livanou M. Prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder and comorbid depression in earthquake survivors in Turkey: An epidemiological study. J Trauma Stress. 2004; 17(2): 133-141. doi: 10.1023/B:JOTS.0000022619.31615.e8.
• Tanrikulu AB, Kayaoglu K. Prevalence and determinants of probable posttraumatic stress disorder among university students eight months after the 2023 Kahramanmaras earthquake doublet. Dusunen Adam - The Journal of Psychiatry and Neurological Sciences. 2024; 37(2): 102-110. doi:10.14744/DAJPNS.2024.00245.
• Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (EM-DAT Public). The international database. Data. Retrieved from https://public.emdat.be/data. Accessed August 1, 2023.
• Kurt G, Uygun E, Aker AT, Acarturk C. Addressing the mental health needs of those affected by the earthquakes in Turkey. The Lancet Psychiatry. 2023; 10(4): 247-248. doi: 10.1016/S2215-0366(23)00059-7
• Iqbal A, Sheikh A. The devastating earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria: Post-traumatic stress disorder and mental health issues among the victims. International Journal of Health Planning and Management. 2023; 38(4): 1080-1083. doi: 10.1002/hpm.3644
• Tanhan F, Kayri M. The validity and reliability study of the scale for determining the level of post-earthquake trauma (in Turkish: Deprem sonrası travma düzeyini belirleme ölçeğinin geçerlik ve güvenirlik çalışması). Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice. 2013; 13(2): 1013-1025.
• Faul F, Erdfelder E, Buchner A, Lang A-G. Statistical power analyses using G*Power 3.1: Tests for correlation and regression analyses. Behavior Research Methods. 2009; 41: 1149-1160. doi: 10.3758/BRM.41.4.1149
• Kardas F, Tanhan F. Investigating posttraumatic stress, posttraumatic growth, and hopelessness levels of university students exposed to the Van earthquake. YYU Journal of Education Faculty. 2018; 15(1): 1-36. doi: 10.23891/efdyyu.2018.60
• Akçay S, Beydili Gürbüz E, Koca E. Trauma levels after the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes in Türkiye. Journal of Social Service Research. 2024; 50(4): 519–530. doi: 10.1080/01488376.2024.2339967
• Ilhan B, Berikol GB, Eroglu O, Deniz T. Prevalence and associated risk factors of post-traumatic stress disorder among survivors of the 2023 Turkey earthquake. The American Journal of Emergency Medicine. 2023; 72: 39-43. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2023.07.026
• Alpay EH, Redican E, Hyland P, Karatzias T, Shevlin M. Correlates of posttraumatic stress disorder in the aftermath of the february 2023 earthquake in Turkey. Journal of Loss and Trauma. 2024; 29(6): 605-622. doi: 10.1080/15325024.2024.2314306
• Ozturk HI, Donmezler S. Chronotype influences on posttraumatic stress disorder induced by the twin earthquakes in Turkey: A cross-sectional study among medical students. Chronobiology International. 2024; 41(1): 10-16. doi: 10.1080/07420528.2023.2294052
• Divsalar P, Dehesh T. Prevalence and predictors of post-traumatic stress disorder and depression among survivors over 12 years after the Bam earthquake. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment. 2020; 16: 1207-1216. doi: 10.2147/NDT.S252730
• Xu J, Song X. Posttraumatic stress disorder among survivors of the Wenchuan earthquake 1 year after: Prevalence and risk factors. Comprehensive Psychiatry. 2011; 52(4): 431-437. doi: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2010.08.006
• Maya-Mondragón J, Sánchez-Román FR, Palma-Zarco A, Aguilar-Soto M, Borja-Aburto VH. Prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder and depression after the September 19th, 2017 earthquake in Mexico. Archives of Medical Research. 2019; 50(8): 502-508. doi: 10.1016/j.arcmed.2019.11.008
• Carter FA, Bell CJ, Ali AN, McKenzie J, Wilkinson TJ. The impact of major earthquakes on the psychological functioning of medical students: A Christchurch, New Zealand study. New Zealand Medical Journal. 2014; 127(1398): 54-66. doi: 10.1179/1757670514Y.0000000156
• Trip H, Tabakakis K, Maskill V, Day A, Cope V, Denny W. Psychological health and resilience: the impact of significant earthquake events on tertiary level professional students. A Cross-Sectional Study. Contemporary Nurse. 2018; 54(3): 319-332. doi: 10.1080/10376178.2018.1503549
• Sharma V, Levin BL, Rahill GJ, Baldwin JA, Luitel A, Marhefka SL. Post-earthquake self-reported depressive symptoms and post-traumatic stress disorder and their correlates among college youths in Kathmandu, Nepal. Psychiatric Quarterly. 2021; 92(4): 1595-1609. doi: 10.1007/s11126-021-09928-5
• Kurt E, Gulbahce A. Investigation of post-traumatic stress disorder levels of students living in Van earthquake. Current Perspectives in Social Sciences (Atatürk Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi). 2019; 23(3): 957-972.
• Omac Sonmez M, Nazik F, Pehlivan E. Prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder among a sample of university students in Turkey after the Van earthquake. International Journal of Psychiatry and Psychological Researches. 2017; 9: 1-20.
• Lu B, Zeng W, Li Z, Wen J. Risk factors of post-traumatic stress disorder 10 years after Wenchuan earthquake: A population-based case-control study. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences. 2021; 30: e25. doi: 10.1017/S2045796021000123