The role of self-compassion in the relationship of posttraumatic stress disorder with posttraumatic growth in Kahramanmaraş earthquakes survivors: a year on

Abstract Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and posttraumatic growth (PTG) are two common posttraumatic reactions that may co-exist in individuals exposed to or witnessing an earthquake. There are a limited number of studies examining some mediating variables, such as self-efficacy and resilience in the relationship between PTSD and PTG in individuals exposed to traumatic experiences. However, these studies were not carried out with earthquake survivors, and self-compassion was not considered as a mediating variable. Therefore, in order to close this gap in the literature, the current study aims to reveal the mediating role of self-compassion in the relationship between PTSD and PTG in Kahramanmaraş earthquakes survivors. The data of the study were collected from 317 survivors of the February 6 earthquakes in Turkey (78.2% females), aged 18 and 52 ( Mean = 24.12 ± 6.28). The results have indicated that PTSD was negatively correlated with self-compassion, whereas positively correlated with PTG. Self-compassion was found to be positively associated with PTG. More importantly, the findings have also revealed the mediating effect of self-compassion in the relationship between PTSD and PTG after controlling for gender, age, educational level, and marital status. The findings shed light on our understanding that self-compassion may not only play a protective role against the negative consequences of traumatic events, but also may be an effective mechanism in the transformation of PTSD into PTG. Moreover, the findings of the study have suggested that focusing on self-compassion may be functional for intervention programs aiming to prevent PTSD symptoms and increase PTG in earthquake victims.