The Mediating Role of Difficulties in Emotion Regulation and Earthquake Stress Coping in the Relationship Between Posttraumatic Cognitive Attribution and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Türkiye 2023 Earthquake Survivors

Natural disasters such as earthquakes leave deep psychological effects on individuals that can lead to posttraumatic stress disorder, and understanding these effects is vital to support psychological recovery processes after trauma. In this context, the aim of this study was to examine the mediating role of emotion regulation difficulties, religious coping, positive reappraisal and seeking social support in the relationship between posttraumatic cognitive attributions and posttraumatic stress disorder in 2023 Kahramanmaraş Pazarcık, Elbistan and Hatay Yayladağı earthquake survivors (N = 408). The findings from the multiple mediation analysis showed the indirect effect of posttraumatic cognitive attribution on PTSD through difficulties in emotion regulation, religious coping, positive reappraisal, and seeking social support. Therefore, difficulties in emotion regulation may be a risk factor for PTSD, while religious coping, positive reappraisal and seeking social support may be protective factors. Strategies to reduce difficulties in emotion regulation and to improve religious coping, positive reappraisal and social support seeking in earthquake survivors may be necessary to reduce PTSD that may be caused by the earthquake.