The Psychological Impact on Rescue Workers of the 2023 Kahramanmaraş (Turkey) Earthquakes: A Six-Month Follow-Up Study
Psychological Impact on Rescue Workers of the 2023 Kahramanmaraş (Turkey) Earthquakes
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63175/tjts.76Keywords:
Earthquake, Rescue Workers, Post-Traumatic Stress, Resilience, Post-Traumatic GrowthAbstract
Background: Rescue workers responding to major disasters are at increased risk of adverse psychological outcomes, including depression, anxiety, stress, and posttraumatic stress symptoms. However, limited longitudinal data exist regarding their mental health, resilience, and posttraumatic growth following the February 6, 2023 Kahramanmaraş Earthquakes.
Methods: This study examines the changes in depression, anxiety, stress, and posttraumatic stress levels of search and rescue workers 1 and 6 months after the Kahramanmaraş Earthquakes on February 6, 2023. Additionally, the study explores the levels of psychological resilience and posttraumatic growth. This longitudinal follow-up study was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire which included the Impact of Events Scale (IES-R) and Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale – 21 Items (DASS-21). The Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) and Post Traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) were added to the six-month review.
Results: A total of 34 rescue workers were enrolled in the final analysis. There were no differences in post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, depression, anxiety, and stress levels among rescue workers after 1 and 6 months. A significant and moderate correlation was found between Depression, Anxiety, IES-R, PTGI and BRS scores, between the IES-R scale and PTGI.
Conclusion: The findings highlight the ongoing psychological burden experienced by rescue workers following disaster response operations and underscore the need for interventions aimed at improving their psychological well-being.
References
1. Hussain E, Kalaycıoğlu S, Milliner CW, Çakir Z. Preconditioning the 2023 Kahramanmaraş (Türkiye) earthquake disaster. Nat Rev Earth Environ 2023; 4(5): 287-289.
2. Kocaman I. The effect of the Kahramanmaraş earthquakes (Mw 7.7 and Mw 7.6) on historical masonry mosques and minarets. Eng Fail Anal. 2023; 149:107225.
3. Usta G, Aslan R, Gündüz F, Atalay E, Pala IT. On-site evaluation of emergency response carried out after earthquakes with epicentral base Kahramanmaraş/Pazarcık-Elbistan in Türkiye: an observational study. Turk Cograf Derg. 2023; 83:145-154.
4. Sarı B. Disaster management following the great Kahramanmaraş earthquakes in 2023, Türkiye. Nat Hazards Earth Syst Sci. 2025; 25(6): 2031-2043.
5. Sakuma A, Takahashi Y, Ueda I, et al. Post-traumatic stress disorder and depression prevalence and associated risk factors among local disaster relief and reconstruction workers fourteen months after the Great East Japan Earthquake: a cross-sectional study. BMC Psychiatry. 2015; 15(1): 1-13.
6. Ein N, Plouffe RA, Liu JJW, et al. Physical and psychological challenges faced by military, medical and public safety personnel relief workers supporting natural disaster operations: a systematic review. Curr Psychol. 2024; 43: 1743-1758.
7. Çorbacı E, Tansel E, Alkan D. A qualitative preliminary study on the secondary trauma experiences of individuals participating in search and rescue activities after an earthquake. Healthc. 2025; 13(10): 1101.
8. Ehring T, Razik S, Emmelkamp PM. Prevalence and predictors of posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, and burnout in Pakistani earthquake recovery workers. Psychiatry Res. 2011; 185 (1-2): 161-166.
9. Kawashima Y, Nishi D, Noguchi H, et al. Post-traumatic stress symptoms and burnout among medical rescue workers 4 years after the Great East Japan Earthquake: a longitudinal study. Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2016; 10(6): 848-853.
10. Tahernejad S, Ghaffari S, Ariza-Montes A, et al. Post-traumatic stress disorder in medical workers involved in earthquake response: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Heliyon, 2023; 9(1): e12794.
11. Guo C, Li S, Chan SS. Long-term effects of disaster exposure on health care workers’ resilience: A comparison of the Wenchuan earthquake-exposed and unexposed groups. Int J Disaster Risk Reduct. 2022; 67: 102658.
12. Mao X, Hu X, Loke AY. A concept analysis on disaster resilience in rescue workers: the psychological perspective. Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2022; 16(4): 1682-1691.
13. Mao X, Loke AY, Fung OWM, Hu X. What it takes to be resilient: The views of disaster healthcare rescuers. Int J Disaster Risk Reduct. 2019; 36:101112.
14. Huang W, Li L, Zhuo Y, Zhang J. Analysis of resilience, coping style, anxiety, and depression among rescue nurses on EMTs during the disaster preparedness stage in Sichuan, China: a descriptive cross-sectional survey. Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2023; 17: e268.
15. Brooks S, Amlot R, Rubin GJ, Greenberg N. Psychological resilience and post-traumatic growth in disaster-exposed organisations: overview of the literature. BMJ Mil Health. 2020; 166(1): 52-56.
16. Henson C, Truchot D, Canevello A. Factors that hinder post-traumatic growth: a systematic review. Encephale. 2022; 48(5): 560-562.
17. Tedeschi RG, Shakespeare-Finch J, Taku K, Calhoun LG. Posttraumatic growth: Theory, research, and applications. Routledge; 2018.
18. Tsirimokou A, Kloess JA, Dhinse SKVicarious post-traumatic growth in professionals exposed to traumatogenic material: a systematic literature review. Trauma Violence Abuse. 2023; 24 (3): 1848-1866.
19. Li S, Guo C, Chan SS. ICD-11 posttraumatic stress disorder and complex PTSD among hospital medical workers in China: impacts of Wenchuan Earthquake exposure, workplaces, and sociodemographic factors. Front Psychiatry. 2022; 12: 735861.
20. North CS, McDonald K. A prospective post-disaster longitudinal follow-up study of emotional and psychosocial outcomes of the Oklahoma City bombing rescue and recovery workers during the first quarter century afterward. Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2023; 17: e331.
21. Brooks SK, Dunn R, Sage CAM, et al. Risk and resilience factors affecting the psychological wellbeing of individuals deployed in humanitarian relief roles after a disaster. J Ment Health. 2015; 24(6): 385–413.
22. Yasien S, Nasir JA, Shaheen T. Relationship between psychological distress and resilience in rescue workers. Saudi Med J. 2016; 37(7): 778-782.
23. Zhao Y, An Y, Sun X, Liu J. Self-acceptance, post-traumatic stress disorder, post-traumatic growth, and the role of social support in Chinese rescue workers. J Loss Trauma. 2020; 25(3): 264-277.
24. Wen X, An Y, Zhou Y, Du J, Xu W. Mindfulness, posttraumatic stress symptoms, and posttraumatic growth in aid workers: the role of self-acceptance and rumination. J Nerv Ment Dis. 2021; 209 (3): 159-165.
25. Bekiroglu S, Attepe Özden S, Çakmak E. Post-traumatic stress, depression, and anxiety levels in Turkish rescue workers after the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes. Geopsychiatry, 2026; 3: 100076.
26. Çorapçıoğlu A, Yargıç İ, Geyran P, Kocabaşoğlu N. Olayların Etkisi Ölçeği (IES-R) Türkçe versiyonunun geçerlik ve güvenilirliği. Yeni Sempozyum, 2006; 44: 14-22. [in Turkish].
27. Weiss DS, Marmar CR. The impact of event scale-revised. In: Wilson JP., Keane TM. eds. Assessing Psychological Trauma and PTSD: A Practitioner’s Handbook. New York: Guilford Press; 1997: 399-411.
28. Sarıçam H. The psychometric properties of the Turkish version of Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) in health control and clinical samples. JCBPR. 2018; 7(1): 19-30.
29. Lovibond SH, Lovibond PF. Manual for the Depression Anxiety & Stress Scales. 2nd ed. Sydney: Psychology Foundation; 1995.
30. Akın A, Sahranç Ü, Turan M, et al. Kısa psikolojik dayanıklılık ölçeği Türkçe formunun geçerlik ve güvenirliği. Sakarya: III. Sakarya Eğitim Araştırmaları Kongresi. 2014. [in Turkish].
31. Kağan M, Güleç M, Boysan M, Çavuş H. Travma sonrası büyüme envanteri'nin Türkçe versiyonunun normal toplumda hiyerarşik faktör yapısı. TAF Prev Med Bullet. 2012; 11(5): 617-624. [in Turkish].
32. Hsiao YY, Chang WH., Ma, I. et al. (2019). Long-term PTSD risks in emergency medical technicians who responded to the 2016 Taiwan earthquake: a six-month observational follow-up study. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2016; 16(24): 4983.
33. Demiröz K, Kılıç M, Demiröz Yıldırım S. Post-traumatic growth in volunteers following the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2025; 22(5): 699.
34. Köse A. Voluntary search-and-rescue workers’ experiences after witnessing trauma in the earthquake field. OPUS J Soc Res. 2023; 20(51): 56-66.
35. Kashyap S, Hussain D. Cross-cultural challenges to the construct “posttraumatic growth”. J Loss Trauma. 2018; 23(1): 51-69.
36. Pink J, Gray, NS, O’Connor C., et al. Psychological distress and resilience in first responders and health care workers during the COVID‐19 pandemic. J Occup Organ Psychol. 2021; 94(4): 789-807.
37. Kovacs I, Irimia A, Pupazan D, Ilie C, Gireada A. Research on resilience of intervention and rescue personnel. Int Multidiscip Res J SGEM. 2023; 23(4.1): 117-124.
38. Bakirci AE, Demirel N, Sar V, Cetin A. Post-Traumatic stress disorder and post-traumatic growth in firefighters: examining the moderating effects of resilience on occupational safety behaviors. BMC Public Health. 2025; 25(1): 1745.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 2026
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
