Trauma symptoms, sleep quality and related factors in the early post-earthquake period

Authors : Hayriye Mihrimah Öztürk, Didem Daymaz, Hanife Kocakaya, Ayşe Zeynep Akkoyun, Meral Saygun

Pages : 492-498

Doi:10.47582/jompac.1342558

View : 227 | Download : 206

Publication Date : 2023-10-27

Article Type : Research

Abstract :Aim: Traumatic life events such as earthquake are frequently encountered problems both in our country and all over the world. The aim of this study was to determine sleep quality, trauma level and related factors and to evaluate the effects of gender, damage status and losses in adults who were admitted to the psychiatry outpatient clinic among individuals who were placed in Kırıkkale University student dormitories immediately after the 6 February 2023 earthquakes that affected a wide geography in our country. Methods: 64 volunteers were included in the study between March 2023 and June 2023. After the participants\' complaints and sociodemographic characteristics were questioned, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Scale That Determines the Level of the Trauma after the Earthquake (PETLDS) were applied to the participants to determine their sleep quality and trauma levels after the earthquake. Results: The mean age of the participants was 45.5±15.5, and 75.0% of them were women. Fear/anxiety and insomnia were the most frequently reported complaints by the participants. The mean of the participants\' PSQI scores was 10.5±4.4, and 43 participants (79.6%) had poor sleep quality in the last month. The mean score of the participants\' PETLDS was determined as 76.6±17.9. When the subscales were examined, it was determined that the emotional limitation and cognitive restructuring scores were higher than the behavioral, affective and sleep problems. When the participants were compared in terms of damage in their homes, it was found that the participants with moderately or more damaged houses had statistically higher emotional, cognitive restructuring and sleep problems and total trauma scores compared to the participants with a solid or slightly damaged house (respectively; p=.017, p=.023, p=.010, p=.040). Individuals with moderately or more damaged houses had higher PSQI scores but this difference did not reach statistical significance (p=.061). Conclusion: The earthquakes that occurred in our country on and after 6 February 2023 affected a large area and resulted in millions of people being directly or indirectly affected. To minimize the physical and psychological damage that earthquakes may cause, post-disaster management should be carried out well, and it should be noted that it is a priority to support earthquake victims psychologically as well as their social and medical needs.
Keywords : deprem, halk sağlığı, uyku bozuklukları, travma