Investigation of the relationship between post-traumatic stress and family support in children who experienced a fire disaster: The case of Manavgat fire

Disasters are inherently crisis situations and cause psychological and social effects on individuals. Compared to adults, the psychological and social effect of disasters on children is deeper and post-traumatic stress responses occur in children exposed to disasters. Family support plays an important role in reducing the symptoms of post-traumatic stress in children with disasters. In this study, which aims to examine the relationship between post-traumatic stress and perceived family support in children experiencing fire disaster, a quantitative research method and screening model were used. The sample of the study consisted of 130 children between the ages of 12-17, who live in the 6 neighbourhoods most affected by the forest fire in the Manavgat district of Antalya province, who were consented by the volunteer, parent or guardian with the illuminated consent form. As a data collection tool, the Interview Form, the Perceived Family Support Scale, the Post-Traumatic Stress Response Scale for Children were used. The data were collected by a face-to-face interview between 01 January – 01 July 2023. The data obtained were analysed using the IBM SPSS Statistics 26 program. In the study; Although 2 years have passed since the fire disaster, it was concluded that children who were exposed to the disaster had severe post-traumatic stress responses. It has been determined that there is a meaningful relationship between the symptoms of post-disaster trauma of the children who experienced the fire and the ways to experience the fire, the damage status of the house, and the place of residence after the fire. A significant relationship was found between the symptoms of post-disaster trauma and perceived family support of children who experienced the fire. While perceived family support increases, post-traumatic stress symptoms decrease, perceived family support increases, while post-traumatic stress symptoms decrease. In the light of the information obtained in the research, it is recommended to increase the number of scientific studies on family support, which investigates the psychological and social effects of disasters on children, and plays an important role in the post-disaster responses of children, and post-traumatic stress symptoms seen in children. Keywords: Disaster, Fire Disaster, Child, Post Traumatic Stress, Family Support