Reflections of a Catastrophic Earthquake Disaster on Public Mental Health

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.

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).

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).

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.