Examining the relationship between psychological resilience and multidimensional perceived social support of adults who experienced the Kahramanmaraş earthquake and post traumatic growth

Aim: Two major earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş on 06.02.2023 caused widespread destruction in 11 provinces in Turkey. The aim of this study is to determine the effects of multidimensional perceived social support and psychological resilience on post-traumatic growth in adults who experienced the earthquake. Material and Method: 338 adults who experienced the earthquake centered in Kahramanmaraş in 11 provinces participated in our study. The data was obtained by organizing an online survey form. The online survey form included the Personal Information Form, The Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), Multidimensional Perceived Social Support Scale (MPSS) and The Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI). Results: Participants' mean BRS score is 18.6±4.5, PTGI mean score is 58.4±27.2, MPSS-Family mean score is 20.1±8.1, MPSS-Friend mean score is 18.8±8.3, MPSS -Special person mean score was found to be 13.9±9.1 and MPSS-Total score mean was 52.8±21.7. Among the participants, women's psychological resilience levels were found to be lower than men, those who lost relatives in the earthquake compared to those who did not, and those who lost valuables in the earthquake compared to those who did not. Again, among the participants, social support scores of women, those with low education levels, those with a newly diagnosed psychiatric disease after the earthquake, those who were trapped under rubble during the earthquake, and those who lost a first-degree relative in the earthquake were found to have lower social support scores. Finally, the post-traumatic growth scores of those who were trapped under rubble during the earthquake were found to be lower than those who were not trapped under debris. A significant positive correlation was observed between BRS, MPSS and PTGI scores. Conclusion: In our study, it was determined that as the level of social support and psychological resilience perceived by adults who experienced the February 6 Kahramanmaraş earthquake increased, their level of positive post-traumatic development increased. Keywords: Multidimensional Perceived Social Support, Earthquake, Psychological Resilience, Posttraumatic Growth