Abstract

On February 6, 2023, two devastating earthquakes measuring 7.7 and 7.6 struck southeastern Türkiye, resulting in catastrophic destruction, over 50,000 deaths, and more than 115,000 injuries. Hatay province was among the most severely affected regions, and many survivors were displaced to other areas, including Muğla. This study aimed to examine sociodemographic, clinical, trauma-related, and psychosocial predictors of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among displaced survivors. A total of 290 adults (55% women) were assessed after relocation. PTSD diagnoses were determined using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 Disorders–Clinician Version (SCID-5/CV), based on the DSM-5 criteria, conducted between 1 and 6 months after the earthquake. Participants also completed standardized self-report instruments, including the PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version, the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales (DASS-21), the Peritraumatic Dissociative Experiences Questionnaire (PDEQ), the Brief COPE, and the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS). Overall, 112 participants (38.6%) were diagnosed with PTSD. PTSD was more prevalent among women, unmarried individuals, those with lower levels of education, and participants with a psychiatric history or severe trauma exposure (e.g., injury, entrapment, bereavement, or forced displacement). Psychosocial correlates included elevated anxiety symptoms, dysfunctional coping, and higher peritraumatic dissociation, whereas resilience appeared protective. Multivariate analyses identified prior psychiatric history, permanent injury, bereavement, elevated PDEQ and anxiety scores, and dysfunctional coping strategies as independent predictors of PTSD. Notably, whether survivors were relocated by state assignment or voluntary choice did not affect prevalence. These findings underscore key psychological risk factors following large-scale disasters and may inform the development of early psychosocial interventions for displaced populations.

Key words: Post-traumatic stress disorder, earthquake survivors, peritraumatic dissociation, coping strategies, psychological resilience