The Relationship between Post-Earthquake Traumatic Stress, Individual Disaster Resilience and Disaster Literacy

Natural disasters cause death, destruction, and trauma, leading not only to physical effects but also to psychological problems such as post-traumatic stress in disaster victims. Increasing the level of knowledge and improving public awareness in disaster management processes are important in terms of reducing the negative impacts of disasters and enhancing resilience. This research examines the relationship between post-earthquake trauma level, individual disaster resilience, and disaster literacy among individuals aged 18–60 living in Hatay Province following the earthquakes of February 6, 2023. This study was designed as a cross-sectional, descriptive, and correlational study, and participants were recruited using a convenience sampling method. The data were collected through surveys using the Post-Earthquake Trauma Level Determination (PETLD) scale, the Individual Disaster Resilience (IDR) scale, and the Disaster Literacy (DL) scale, and were analyzed using SPSS and AMOS programs. The mean scores (PETLD: 60.06±19.223; IDR: 64.62±10.832; DL: 208.32±38.157) indicate that disaster literacy was limited, disaster resilience was at a moderate-to-high level, and trauma level was above the threshold in the sample. In the analysis conducted to examine the mediating role of post-earthquake trauma level in the effect of disaster literacy on individual disaster resilience, it was determined that the overall effect of disaster literacy on disaster resilience is statistically significant (c = 0.447, 95% CI [0.386, 0.508]). It was found that disaster literacy significantly reduced trauma levels (a = -0.132, 95% CI [-0.250, -0.014]) and that trauma levels negatively affected disaster resilience (b = -0.193, 95% CI [-0.230, -0.155]). The significant indirect effect (ab = 0.025, 95% CI [0.001, 0.053]) supports the mediating role of trauma levels. The persistence of disaster literacy's impact, even though it decreased when the trauma variable was added to the model, demonstrates partial mediation. Based on the findings, it is recommended that disaster literacy education programs include psychological support and trauma coping skills to strengthen individual disaster resilience.