Prolonged grief disorder among bereaved survivors after the 2011 Van Earthquake in Turkey.

The aim of the current study was to investigate the ratio and predictors of probable Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) among bereaved survivors eight years after the 2011 Van earthquake. Among a sample of 495 survivors who experienced loss as a result of this earthquake, 8.9% met the criteria of probable PGD. In the binary logistic regression analysis, being woman, being aged 40 or over, personal injury, property damage, losing family members, and the psychological impact of the earthquake predicted probable PGD. The current study highlights the importance of considering PGD among bereaved survivors after earthquakes.

The Effect of Traumatic Loss on Posttraumatic Growth Among 2011 Van Earthquake Survivors: The Mediating Role of Posttraumatic Stress.

Objective: Posttraumatic growth (PTG), defined as a positive change after a traumatic event, has become the subject of various studies, and its relationship with posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) has been extensively investigated. However, studies have indicated differences in the relationship between PTG and PTSS. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the mediating role of PTSS in the relationship between the number of traumatic losses and PTG among the 2011 Van earthquake survivors. Methods: The sample of this study consisted of 917 participants who experienced the 2011 Van earthquake. A personal information form, impact of event scale-revised (IES-R), and posttraumatic growth inventory (PTGI) were used as data collection tools. Results: Survivors with traumatic loss were found to have higher PTSS and PTG than survivors without traumatic loss. The mean scores of the PTGI subscales were higher among survivors with traumatic loss except for changes in self-perception. A positive correlation was found between IES-R and PTGI total scores. In the regression analysis, it was found that PTSS played a mediating role in the relationship between the number of traumatic losses and PTG. Conclusion: This study revealed that PTG is possible with the presence of PTSS. Mental health professionals assisting survivors with traumatic loss should take the enhancement of PTG into consideration in addition to their efforts to reduce PTSS.