Assessing psychological trauma levels and contributory factors among pregnant women following seismic events

Abstract

This study aimed to examine post-earthquake psychological trauma and its contributing factors among pregnant women who were exposed to the large-scale twin earthquakes that occurred on February 6, 2023, in Türkiye. This cross-sectional study was conducted with 5227 pregnant women and found that 72.2% experienced post-earthquake psychological trauma following the earthquakes, including behavioral, sleep-related, emotional, and cognitive symptoms. The most significant factors contributing to this trauma were exposure to the earthquake in the most severely affected centers or in center with the highest number of aftershocks, as well as a sense of helplessness. The independent variables accounted for 21.7% of the variance in psychological trauma. These findings highlight that pregnant women experienced difficulties with emotional regulation, sensory processing, cognitive restructuring, and sleep disturbances after the large-scale twin earthquakes in Türkiye. This underscores the need for strategic planning to strengthen mental health for pregnant women in the aftermath of disasters.