Assessing the Severity of Earthquake Trauma on Syrian Refugee Survivors in Southern Turkey and Displaced Individuals in Northwest Syria

Abstract

The study sought to investigate the extent and intensity of earthquake-related psychological distress experienced by Syrian refugee survivors residing in southern Turkey and displaced individuals in northwest Syria. A technique focused on providing detailed descriptions and conducting thorough analysis was employed. Three scales of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Trauma History Screen (THS), and Brief Trauma Questionnaire (BTQ) were used. The study included 600 participants, with 300 participants from each region. The prevalence rate of PTSD among survivors one year after the 2023 Turkey earthquake was high, around 68%. while the prevalence rate of THS and BTQ was low. The results for PTSD indicated that there were statistically significant differences only between age and marital status in southern Turkey. As for northwest Syria, there were statistically significant differences only in gender. The results for THS and BTQ indicated statistically significant differences only between gender, age, and working status in southern Turkey. As for northwest Syria, there were statistically significant differences between gender, education level, and working status. There was a positive direct correlation between PTSD on the one hand and THS and BTQ on the other hand. This indicates that the level of PTSD increases as THS and BTQ increase. In regression analysis, the results showed that THS and BTQ contribute to interpreting the variance in PTSD. When THS and BTQ increase, they contribute to increased symptoms of PTSD. The beta value for THS in southern Turkey and northwestern Syria was (β = 1.127, β = 0.793), respectively. While the beta value for BTQ in southern Turkey was (β = 0.70) .Conclusions: Both THS and BTQ make a statistically significant contribution to explaining the variations in PTSD among survivors in the research of the two locations. The incidence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among survivors was 68%. PTSD was found to be linked with older age, female gender, widowhood, and divorce.