The Effect of Depression and Hopelessness Level on Death Anxiety in Earthquake Survivor Students One Year After the Earthquake.

Abstract

It is important to reveal the long-term psychological effects of the earthquake in earthquake-exposed individuals. The aim of this study was to determine the levels of depression, hopelessness and death anxiety in students who experienced the earthquake one year after the earthquake and to examine the effects of depression and hopelessness on death anxiety. This is a descriptive and correlational study. Data were collected from 155 Emergency Relief and Disaster Management students who experienced the Kahramanmaras earthquake in Türkiye in 2023. Data were collected using Personal Information Form, Beck Depression Scale, Beck Hopelessness Scale, Thorson-Powell Death Anxiety Scale. In the study, a moderate positive correlation was found, indicating that as levels of depression and hopelessness increased, so did death anxiety (p < .05). Depression and hopelessness explained 18.1% of the variance in death anxiety. Death anxiety was found to be higher in males and in students whose relatives or close friends died.