The knowledge of students’ quality of life and post-traumatic stress disorder levels, investigation of the relationship between them, and taking measures are essential in terms of guiding the necessary interventions. This study was conducted to determine the quality of life and post-traumatic stress disorder levels of midwifery students experiencing an earthquake.

This descriptive and correlational study was conducted with 363 midwifery students who had experienced the Kahramanmaras, Türkiye earthquake. Data were obtained using a Descriptive Information Form, the PTSD-Brief Scale, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale (WHOQOL-BREF).

The rate of post-traumatic stress disorder in the sample studied (n = 363), which consisted of midwifery students who would work in the field of health, was 21.5% 2 months after the earthquake. The multiple linear regression analysis indicated that factors predicting post-traumatic stress disorder following the earthquake were quality of life score related to physical and environmental domains, damage status of the house, presence of family history of depression, and smoking status.

This study, which was conducted 2 months following the earthquakes, showed that living spaces had an impact on the occurrence of post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms.

Earthquakes cause great destruction due to their suddenness and intensity. Although all people are affected by earthquakes, children are among those most affected. Every year, millions of children and young people are exposed to many natural disasters and are affected differently. Earthquakes can cause physical, mental, and sleep disorders in children. The aim of this study is to investigate the post-traumatic response and its effects on sleep on child and adolescent earthquake survivors living in the earthquake zone in Turkey.

This research was carried out between June and August 2023 as a descriptive and cross-sectional study. A total of 230 earthquake survivor children from Adıyaman were included in the study. Personal information forms, the Child Posttraumatic Stress Reaction Index (CPTS-RI), and the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children (SDSC) were used to collect data.

It was determined that the scale scores of the children who were financially affected by the earthquake, who were injured, and who were under the rubble were higher (P < 0.05).

It was observed that more than half of the children had severe trauma and had sleep disorders. Children who experience trauma from an earthquake have more sleep disorders. For this reason, in addition to emergency aid and interventions in earthquakes, arrangements should be made for the mental health of children and social and psychological support should be provided.

History of prior mental disorder, particularly post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), increases risk for PTSD following subsequent trauma exposure. However, limited research has examined differences associated with specific prior mental disorders among people with PTSD.

The current study examined whether different prior mental disorders were associated with meaningful differences among individuals presenting to a specialist service for severe earthquake-related distress following the Canterbury earthquakes (N = 177).

Two sets of comparisons were made: between participants with no history of prior disorder and participants with history of any prior disorder; and between participants with history of prior PTSD and those with history of other prior disorders. Comparisons were made in relation to sociodemographic factors, earthquake exposure, peri-traumatic distress, life events and current psychological functioning.

Participants with any prior mental disorder had more current disorders than those with no prior disorder. Among participants with history of any prior disorder, those with prior PTSD reported more life events in the past 5 years than those with other prior disorders.

Findings suggest a history of any prior mental disorder contributes to increased clinical complexity, but not increased PTSD severity, among people with PTSD seeking treatment. Although post-disaster screening efforts should include those with prior mental disorders, it should also be recognised that those with no prior disorders are also at risk of developing equally severe PTSD.

This study was carried out to determine the effects of post-earthquake trauma levels of nursing students on their academic motivation and career decisions.

The sample of this descriptive study consisted of 228 students studying at Gaziantep Islamic Science and Technology University, Department of Nursing. The data were collected using an online questionnaire created by the researchers. This online questionnaire form consists of seven questions about socio-demographic characteristics, and it also includes the Determination of Post-Earthquake Trauma Levels Scale, Academic Motivation Scale, and Career Decision Scale. SPSS 23.0 package program was used for the analysis of the data, and P < 0.05 was accepted for the level of significance.

It was determined that the post-earthquake trauma level of the students was above the moderate level (63.49 ± 17.29) and that the extrinsic motivation-identified regulation, extrinsic motivation-external motivation, and intrinsic-knowledge levels were more affected by the earthquake (P < 0.05). In addition, it was determined that the mean Career Decision Scale score of the students (74.20 ± 17.35) was below the average.

It was determined that post-earthquake trauma level had positive effects on intrinsic motivation-stimulation, extrinsic motivation, and amotivation, but had no effect on career decision.

Earthquakes rank among the most deadly natural disasters, and children are particularly affected due to their inherent vulnerability. Following an earthquake, there is a substantial increase in visits to emergency services. These visits stem not only from patients seeking care for physical traumas resulting from the earthquake and its subsequent complications, but also from individuals affected by the circumstances created by the disaster.

This study aims to determine the characteristics and outcomes of children who presented to the pediatric emergency department (PED) after the earthquake and to evaluate children who had crush injuries at a referral tertiary university hospital away from the earthquake area.

The medical records of children who presented to the PED from the earthquake area from February 6 through March 7, 2023 were retrospectively reviewed. Children rescued from under rubble were categorized as Group 1, those affected by earthquake conditions as Group 2, and patients seeking medical attention due to the follow-up of chronic illnesses were considered as Group 3. Patient data, including sociodemographic characteristics, time period under rubble (TPR), laboratory findings, and details of medical and surgical procedures, developing acute kidney injury (AKI), and the requirement for hemodialysis were recorded.

A total of 252 children were enrolled in the study, with 52 (20.6%) in Group 1, 180 (71.4%) in Group 2, and 16 (6.0%) in Group 3. The median age was six (IQR = 1.7-12.1) years. In the first group (n = 52), 46 (85.2%) children experienced crush injuries, 25 children (46.3%) developed crush syndrome, and 14 of them (14/25; 56.0%) required dialysis. In the second group, the most common diagnoses were upper respiratory tract infections (n = 69; 37.9%), acute gastroenteritis (n = 23; 12.6%), simple physical trauma (n = 16; 8.8%), and lower respiratory tract infections (n = 13; 7.1%). For children in the third group, pediatric neurology (n = 5; 33.3%), pediatric oncology (n = 4; 25.0%), and pediatric nephrology (n = 3; 18.8%) were the most frequently referred specialties.

Crush injuries, crush syndrome, and AKI were the most common problems in the early days following the earthquake. Along with these patients, children who were affected by the environmental conditions caused by the earthquake, as well as children with chronic illnesses, also accounted for a significant portion of visits to the PED, even if they were distant from the disaster area.

Precautions taken before an earthquake are of vital importance. When buildings collapse, the weight of the ceiling crushes objects such as furniture, leaving a space or void within the rubble. This area is called the “triangle of life.” The larger and stronger the object, the more it will maintain its volume; the more the object maintains its volume, the larger the void will be, and the less likely it is that the person who uses this void will be injured.

Durable, solid furniture such as beds and tables that can be tipped over during an earthquake in appropriate areas in the building can form a living triangle. Creating and using the triangle of life is the method of protection in an earthquake that produces the highest probability of survival.

Two earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.8 and 7.5 occurred in Kahramanmaraş, Turkey, on February 6, 2023. This report presents the case of a 43-y-old female victim of these earthquakes who used the triangle of life to survive; she was removed from the rubble 164 h after the earthquake.

The case provides evidence that predetermining areas in which the triangle of life can be formed and storing supplies necessary for survival can decrease morbidity and mortality in an earthquake.

This study focuses on adults affected by the February 2023 Turkey earthquakes, aiming to uncover demographic and clinical traits.

A retrospective analysis of data from adult patients who sought emergency care between February 6 and February 21, 2023, following the earthquakes, was conducted.

Among 3072 patients, 1544 (50.3%) of whom were women, trauma (31.1%) was the most prevalent cause of emergency department presentations. The median age of all patients was 44 y (interquartile range [IQR] 31-61 y). Hatay province accounted for 65.2% of trauma patients as origin. Most of the patients (66.8%) presented to the emergency department by their own means, while this was opposite for trauma patients, of whom 54.5% was transferred by means of Ambulance Service. Half of the total trauma patients were rescued from the debris, and 75.9% sustained limb injuries. Crush syndrome affected 24.7%, and emergency hemodialysis was performed on 9.1%, whereas emergency surgery was performed on 22.8% of all trauma cases. Overall, 10.2% of trauma patients lacked any identification. The rate of emergency department admittions due to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases was higher at the time of the earthquake compared with the previous year (P < 0.001).

The insights gained from this study hold valuable implications for disaster response strategies, emphasizing the importance of preparedness, timely intervention, and comprehensive patient care.

This research was conducted in order to assess the 1-week aid needs determined by the health professional who voluntarily served in the WhatsApp communication network during the earthquakes in Kahramanmaraş, Turkey.

This descriptive retrospective epidemiological study focuses on the 1-week messaging activities of the WhatsApp group created by volunteers after the earthquake in Turkey. During the 7-day period included in the research, a total of 5813 messages were sent. 3472 of these messages were not included in the research for various reasons, and a total of 2341 messages were used for the research.

In all 7 days, it was seen that most of the messages were sent via text message and that voice messages were very few. When the distribution of the needs demanded by the earthquake victims for 7 days was examined, it was seen that there was a significant increase in the needs on the fourth day after the earthquake, and that the highest increase was the need for tents.

While the demands for rescue services increased in the first 2 days, it was determined that the demands for water especially, dry food, and tents increased from the third day onwards. It is suggested that a professional online infrastructure system should be created to enable the transfer of instant scene and need information that can be activated in such disasters.

Natural disasters such as earthquakes can have a significant impact on cancer treatment and care. The objective of the study was to evaluate the psychological effect of the earthquake on survivor cancer patients compared to regular cancer patients.

Cancer patients who were evacuated from earthquake sites and referred for the continuation of their treatment, as well as regular resident patients were included in the study. The resident cancer patients were compared with the study population as a control group. DASS-21 forms were filled based on patients’ declarations.

Forty-six patients were earthquake survivors and 55 were resident cancer patients. Stress scores were significantly higher in earthquake survivors (P = 0.021). In contrast, there was no difference in stratified groups due to DASS-21 categorization in stress scores while depression and anxiety subgroups had significant differences (P = 0.012; P < 0.001). Also, women significantly had a worse outcome in the depression and anxiety categories (P = 0.028; P = 0.021) while no difference was observed in men.

Recent earthquakes in Turkey had psychological negative effects on oncology patients. The increased stress, depression, and anxiety levels were observed in earthquake survivors who were evacuated from the disaster zone and compared to the control group.