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Psychiatry International
Volume 7
Issue 2
10.3390/psychiatryint7020073
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Article

Coping Strategies and Their Protective Role Against Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in the Immediate Aftermath of the 2023 Türkiye Earthquakes: A Multicenter Primary Care Study

by
Zeliha Yelda Özer
1,*,
Ayşe Nur Topuz
1,
İlker Ünal
2,
Hatice Kurdak
1 and
Sevgi Özcan
1
1
Department of Family Medicine, Çukurova University Faculty of Medicine, Adana 01330, Türkiye
2
Department of Biostatistics, Çukurova University Faculty of Medicine, Adana 01330, Türkiye
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Psychiatry Int. 2026, 7(2), 73; https://doi.org/10.3390/psychiatryint7020073
Submission received: 3 January 2026 / Revised: 24 February 2026 / Accepted: 30 March 2026 / Published: 3 April 2026
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Abstract

We aimed to investigate factors associated with post-earthquake coping strategies and to examine the relationship between coping styles and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom levels. This multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted among individuals presenting to 22 primary health centers in the Adana and Osmaniye provinces of Türkiye between 13 and 17 March 2023. Data were collected using a structured sociodemographic form, the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), and the Coping with Earthquake Stress Scale. The mean age of the participants (n = 434) was 38.27 ± 13.84 years, and 63.4% were female. The prevalence of probable PTSD was 32.95%. A weak negative correlation was found between PCL-5 scores and positive reappraisal scores (r = −0.192, p < 0.01), whereas no significant associations were observed between PTSD symptom scores and other coping strategies. Positive reappraisal scores were positively correlated with both religious coping (r = 0.248) and seeking social support (r = 0.316) (p < 0.01). Individuals who experienced family-related losses reported higher religious coping scores. These findings suggest that positive reappraisal may be associated with lower PTSD symptom levels in the early post-disaster period, highlighting the potential importance of adaptive cognitive coping strategies in primary care settings.
Keywords: coping; earthquake; primary care; post-traumatic stress disorder coping; earthquake; primary care; post-traumatic stress disorder

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MDPI and ACS Style

Özer, Z.Y.; Topuz, A.N.; Ünal, İ.; Kurdak, H.; Özcan, S. Coping Strategies and Their Protective Role Against Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in the Immediate Aftermath of the 2023 Türkiye Earthquakes: A Multicenter Primary Care Study. Psychiatry Int. 2026, 7, 73. https://doi.org/10.3390/psychiatryint7020073

AMA Style

Özer ZY, Topuz AN, Ünal İ, Kurdak H, Özcan S. Coping Strategies and Their Protective Role Against Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in the Immediate Aftermath of the 2023 Türkiye Earthquakes: A Multicenter Primary Care Study. Psychiatry International. 2026; 7(2):73. https://doi.org/10.3390/psychiatryint7020073

Chicago/Turabian Style

Özer, Zeliha Yelda, Ayşe Nur Topuz, İlker Ünal, Hatice Kurdak, and Sevgi Özcan. 2026. "Coping Strategies and Their Protective Role Against Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in the Immediate Aftermath of the 2023 Türkiye Earthquakes: A Multicenter Primary Care Study" Psychiatry International 7, no. 2: 73. https://doi.org/10.3390/psychiatryint7020073

APA Style

Özer, Z. Y., Topuz, A. N., Ünal, İ., Kurdak, H., & Özcan, S. (2026). Coping Strategies and Their Protective Role Against Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in the Immediate Aftermath of the 2023 Türkiye Earthquakes: A Multicenter Primary Care Study. Psychiatry International, 7(2), 73. https://doi.org/10.3390/psychiatryint7020073

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