The mediating roles of perceived social support and resilience in the relationship between earthquake anxiety and traumatic experiences among earthquake survivors in Turkey.

Background: The devastating earthquakes that struck Turkey have left profound psychological impacts on those affected, with anxiety and trauma being particularly prevalent. Understanding the factors that can mitigate these effects is important for developing effective interventions.

Objective: This study seeks to analyse the intermediary functions of perceived social support (PSS) and resilience within the correlations linking earthquake-induced anxiety and the occurrence of traumatic experiences after the seismic event in Turkey.

Method: The study involved a sample of 504 young adults (61.31 % females) who survived the earthquake in Turkey on February 6, 2023. Participants aged 18 to 30 (M = 21.57, SD = 2.55) completed an online survey of self-reported measures of earthquake anxiety, traumatic experiences post-earthquake, PSS, and resilience.

Results: The results indicated that earthquake anxiety significantly predicted levels of traumatic experiences, PSS, and resilience. Additionally, PSS and resilience emerged as significant predictors of traumatic experiences. Importantly, resilience and PSS served as mediators in the relationship between earthquake anxiety and traumatic experiences.

Conclusions: These results highlight the importance of coordinating social and mental assets that focus on strengths in guidelines and interventions designed to enhance positive mental health among earthquake survivors coping with traumatic experiences.