The Effects of Spiritual Well-Being and Coping Skills of the Kahramanmaraş Earthquake Survivors on Trauma

Authors : Cihan Sucu, Bengü Berkmen

Pages : 1351-1368

Doi:10.22559/folklor.3826

View : 71 | Download : 40

Publication Date : 2024-12-15

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :The Kahramanmaraş earthquake, which occurred on 6 February 2023 caused traumatic effects on several people due to its magnitude, the width of the area it impacted and the degree of destruction it caused. In addition to studies investigating trauma symptoms in Kahramanmaraş earthquake survivors, no study on spiritual well-being has been published yet. The main purpose of this study is to examine the effects of earthquake survivors’ spiritual well-being levels and coping skills on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. The research was conducted based on the relational survey model. The population of the study consists of students who were affected by the earthquake and who currently study in KKTC. The study used a convenience sampling method with 400 participants aged 18 and over. Data collection tools included a Personal Information Form, the Spiritual WellBeing Scale, the Coping Attitudes Assessment, and the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Short Scale. The results show a positive and significant relationship between spiritual well-being and coping attitudes, indicating that coping attitudes increase with higher levels of spiritual well-being. Additionally, a positive relationship was found between spiritual well-being and PTSD symptoms. Women reported higher self-help scores, while men exhibited higher avoidance scores. The study also revealed with those experiencing loss reporting higher PTSD levels. that the participants’ own injury status did not have a significant relationship with their PTSD levels. Therefore, it is recommended to develop programs to enhance the spiritual well-being of earthquake survivors. Steps can be taken to increase the level of spiritual well-being to strengthen coping skills.
Keywords : Kahramanmaraş depremi, spiritüel iyi oluş, baş etme, travma sonrası stres