Assessment of Post-Earthquake Trauma and Coping Strategies for Earthquake-Related Stress Among Midwifery Students

Background: Earthquakes are major sources of psychological stress that can adversely affect university students' personal and professional lives.

Aim: This study aimed to assess post-earthquake trauma levels and coping strategies among midwifery students.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 251 midwifery students enrolled at a state university (participation rate: 71.71%). Data were collected online using the Introductory Information Form, the Scale that Determines the Level of Trauma After the Earthquake, and the Earthquake Stress Coping Strategies Scale. Data were analyzed using the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, independent-samples t test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Bonferroni test in SPSS version 25.

Results: The mean trauma score was 53.53±14.78, and the mean coping strategies score was 46.46±7.76. Students who reported fear during the earthquake, loss of family members, relatives, or close friends, or financial losses had significantly higher trauma scores than their counterparts. Significant differences were also found in the religious coping and seeking social support subscales according to earthquake experience, and in the seeking social support subscale according to housing damage (p<0.05).

Conclusion: Midwifery students experienced considerable post-earthquake trauma. Developing effective psychosocial interventions and strengthening adaptive coping strategies may help reduce the long-term psychological effects of earthquake-related stress. Universities and healthcare professionals should implement targeted psychosocial support programs to strengthen students' resilience and enhance their coping abilities following natural disasters.

Keywords: Earthquake, midwifery, stress, students, trauma