Evaluation of spiritual counseling and guidance services in the field according to religious officials assigned in the earthquake zone centered in Kahramanmaraş

This study aims to understand the structure of the spiritual support organization in which the Presidency of Religious Affairs personnel assigned to provide spiritual support services in the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquake region on February 6, 2023 participate, to determine the activities carried out in the field within the scope of spiritual support services, to reveal how the spiritual needs of disaster victims are determined, the spiritual problems encountered in the field and the approaches to these problems, the difficulties encountered by religious officials and the processes of coping with these difficulties, the impact of the services provided, development and improvement studies. In line with the determined purpose, the research was designed according to the qualitative method and structured with the phenomenology design. Semi-structured interview technique was used as the data collection tool in the research. Descriptive analysis approach was preferred in the analysis of the data obtained from the interviews conducted with a total of 26 people. MAXQDA 2024 Qualitative Data Analysis Program was used in the thematic analysis of the data. As a result of the research, it was understood that the religious officials participated in the process voluntarily through the mufti's offices they were affiliated with, reached the regions under the coordination of AFAD and were organized by their own superiors within certain periods in cooperation with other aid institutions and organizations. It was determined that within the scope of spiritual support services in the disaster area, prayer and worship services in the field, tent visits, moral motivation activities, funeral burial procedures, spiritual social services for inaccessible villages, Quran course activities for children aged 4-6 were carried out. The study reveals the positive effects of spiritual counseling services in the disaster area on society and individuals. The spiritual assistance skills of the personnel who will provide spiritual support services in possible disaster situations should be developed.