Investigation of the relationship of post-traumatic stress disorder and depression in individuals who lose relatives due to COVID-19

The aim of this study is to examine how the depression and post traumatic stress disorder levels of individuals who lost their relatives due to COVID-19 differ in terms of some variables, and the relationship between depression and post traumatic stress disorder levels. The sample of the study consisted of patients with mental complaints due to loss of a close relative due to COVID-19, or patients with previous follow-up who showed an increase or variability in their symptoms due to loss of a close relative due to COVID-19, to Bursa Uludağ University Faculty of Medicine Mental Health and Diseases Polyclinic. It consists of 92 people. Demographic Information Form was used to obtain information about the sociodemographic characteristics of the participants, the Beck Depression Inventory was used to determine the depression levels and the Traumatic Stress Symptom Scale was used to determine the levels of post-traumatic stress disorder. The results of the study showed that variables such as marital status, education level, income level, spirituality level, quality of relationship with the lost person, number of condolences, increase in alcohol consumption did not have a significant effect on explaining the symptoms of high depression and post traumatic stress disorder; gender, age at death of the deceased, type of death of the deceased, degree of closeness with the deceased, ability to perform the funeral, participation in the funeral, length of the mourning period, opportunity to meet with relatives who provide social support, increase in smoking consumption, getting professional help situation, the idea of ending own life, and the change in religious beliefs have a significant effect on explaining high depression and post traumatic stress disorder symptoms. In addition, a positive correlation was found between experiencing close loss due to COVID-19 and high-level depression and post traumatic stress disorder symptoms, and a positive significant correlation was found between high-level depression and post traumatic stress disorder symptoms. Keywords: COVID-19, Grief, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Depression.