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. 2025 Mar;96(1):169-182.
doi: 10.1007/s11126-025-10113-1. Epub 2025 Jan 23.

Pathway from Earthquake Fear to Post-Traumatic Growth: The Roles of Resilience, Self-Efficacy, and Positive Childhood Memories Among Survivors of the 2023 Türkiye Earthquakes

Yakup İme  1 , Rumeysa Hoşoğlu Kama  2 , Nihan Çitemel Arslan  2
Affiliations

Pathway from Earthquake Fear to Post-Traumatic Growth: The Roles of Resilience, Self-Efficacy, and Positive Childhood Memories Among Survivors of the 2023 Türkiye Earthquakes

Yakup İme et al. Psychiatr Q. 2025 Mar.

Abstract

Posttraumatic growth is essential for understanding how individuals process trauma and adapt psychologically in the aftermath of seismic events. This study aims to explore the mediating effects of resilience, self-efficacy, and positive childhood memories on the relationship between fear of earthquakes and post-traumatic growth among survivors of the 2023 Türkiye earthquake (N = 423). The results of a multi-mediation analysis indicated that earthquake fear indirectly influenced post-traumatic growth through resilience, self-efficacy, and positive childhood memories. Consequently, these factors may serve as protective mechanisms promoting post-traumatic growth in earthquake survivors. Implementing strategies to enhance resilience and self-efficacy, as well as fostering positive childhood memories, may be essential for mitigating the adverse effects associated with earthquakes.

Keywords: Earthquake fear; Positive childhood memories; Post-traumatic growth; Resilience; Self-efficacy.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethical Approval: The researcher declares that he carried out the study by adhering to the ethical rules that must be followed in human experiments as stated in the Helsinki Declaration of 1975. Informed Consent: All participants participated in the study voluntarily and informed consent was obtained from all of them. Conflict of Interest: The related authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Parallel multiple mediation role of resilience, self-efficacy, and positive childhood memories in the relation between earthquake fear and post-traumatic growth. **p <.001, *p<. 05
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