Moderated Mediating Effects of Earthquake Experiences of Adolescents in the Relationship between Hope, Meaning in Life and Gratitude

The research examines the mediating role of the presence of the meaning of life in the relationship between gratitude and hope and whether this relationship differs because of moving to another city after the earthquake and loss. In the study in which the correlational research model was used, the study group consisted of 443 high school students from different school types who experienced the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquake. The findings indicate that the presence of meaning plays a partial mediating role in the relationship between gratitude and hope. Also, loss due to the earthquake causes significant differences in the relationship between gratitude and hope mediated by the presence of the meaning of life. Additionally, the presence of meaning scores of the participants who lost their nuclear family members or loved ones are lower than those who didn’t. The results show that grateful individuals will feel more hopeful with meaning in their lives.