Exploring the association between post-traumatic stress levels of earthquake-affected mothers and children and the parent-child relationship

Abstract

Background:

On February 6, 2023, the Kahramanmaraş earthquakes affected 11 provinces in Turkey, causing catastrophic consequences for 16.4% of the nation’s population.

Aims:

This study aimed to explore the relationship between post-traumatic stress levels of mothers and children and the parent-child relationship one and a half years following the Kahramanmaraş earthquake.

Methods:

The study included 186 mothers and their 284 children, aged 2 to 10 years, all of whom were affected by the Kahramanmaraş earthquakes. The mothers reported their own PTSD symptoms using the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), assessed their children’s symptoms via the Pediatric Emotional Distress Scale (PEDS), and completed the Parent-Child Relationship Scale (PCRS). To analyze the data, Pearson correlation analysis and multivariate linear regression analysis were employed. Additionally, mediation analyses were conducted using the bootstrapping-based PROCESS macro (Model-4).

Results:

Our findings reveal that one and a half years after the earthquake, the mothers and their children remained at risk for post-traumatic stress. The results of our study indicate that maternal PTSD levels contribute to increased PED levels in children, both through the partial mediation effect of the negative parent-child relationship and through direct effects on children’s PED levels. Furthermore, the study reveals that maternal PTSD levels also contribute to a negative parent-child relationship through the full mediation effect of children’s PED level.

Conclusion:

These findings underscore the necessity for post-earthquake psychosocial interventions to adopt a comprehensive approach that addresses not only individual psychological symptoms but also actively engages both mothers and children in the therapeutic process. Specifically, interventions should aim to enhance the quality of the parent-child relationship and foster secure attachment, emotional communication, and co-regulation within the family system.