Posttraumatic Growth and Psychological Resilience in Young Adults Exposed to an Earthquake

Abstract

Objective: The present study aims to examine the factors affecting posttraumatic growth and psychological resilience in young adults who have experienced an earthquake. Materials and Methods: In the study, a total of 573 individuals who were affected by the earthquake between May and July 2023 participated in the study, sociodemographic characteristics form, Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) and Brief Psychological Resilience Scale (BRS) were used in the study. Results: In the study, it was determined that the majority of the participants were women and more than half of them did not lose a first-degree relative in the earthquake. The average PTGI total score of the participants was 52.13±23.89, and the average BRS total score was 18.04±4.46. Between the PTGI and BRS scores was found positive correlation of the participants (r=0.302, p<0.01). As to the results of the regression analysis, gender, earthquake-related training and earthquake exposure were discovered to be important predictors of PTGI. Additionally, age, gender, marital status and earthquake-related training had a significant effect on BRS (p<0.01). Conclusion: The present study identified a bidirectional interactional process between PTGI and BRS, as well as a strong association between sociodemographic factors and PTGI.