An investigation of stress and death anxiety levels of individuals who experienced the earthquake after major earthquakes in Turkey.

AIM: This study aims to investigate the stress and death anxiety levels of individuals who experienced the earthquake after the major earthquakes that occurred in the Pazarcık and Elbistan districts of Kahramanmaraş in Turkey on February 6, 2023.

METHODS

The study, which used a descriptive design, was conducted between May 2023 and July 2023, with 408 individuals who agreed to participate in the study and met the inclusion criteria in the provinces affected by the earthquake. Data were collected through the 'Personal Information Form' including questions about individuals' socio-demographic characteristics, the 'Death Anxiety Scale' and the 'Post-Earthquake Trauma Level Determination Scale'.

RESULTS

The Death Anxiety Scale (DAS) mean scores indicated significant differences according to age, gender, and the presence of a personal or family disaster plan (p < 0.05). A significant difference was found between the Post-Earthquake Trauma Level Determination Scale (PETLDS) mean scores according to gender, employment, income level, loss of a relative due to the earthquake, and physical injury during the earthquake (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Results showed that the participants were exposed to a moderate level of death anxiety and a high level of trauma after the earthquake. It was also found that the level of trauma increased with the increase in death anxiety.