NATURAL DISASTERS, PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAUMA AND OBSESSIVE BELIEFS AND SYMPTOMS

Psychological trauma arises from experiences that threaten individuals' lives, plunge them into chaos, and disrupt their intellectual, emotional, and behavioral stability.Following disasters, some survivors may develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) along with comorbid disorders such as OCD.The intense uncertainty stemming from psychological trauma can sometimes lead to obsessive beliefs.These obsessive beliefs play a crucial role in interpreting traumatic experiences from earthquakes and can effectively transform experienced issues into obsessive-compulsive disorder.This study aims to provide insights into the traumatic reactions experienced after the earthquake that struck the Southeastern Anatolia region of Turkey on February 6, 2023, which impacted 11 provinces and resulted in significant loss of life and property.A total of 300 earthquake survivors, 162 females & 138 males participated, with an range age of 18 -65; =29.8 9.28.All assessments were conducted face-to-face.The research employed several measures: the PTSD Checklist Civilian Version (PCL), the PADUA Inventory -Washington State University Revision of Obsessions and Compulsions (PI-WSUR), and the Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire (OBQ).The results indicated that seeking reassurance and intolerance of uncertainty leads to numerous obsessive beliefs and compulsions, particularly in scenarios involving exposure.Linear regression analysis indicated that issues arising after experiencing trauma predicted obsessive beliefs, with a statistical significance level of ( = .160,p < .000).Additionally, the analysis of Chi-square (X) revealed a statistically significant correlation between the PTSD Checklist (PCL) and the PADUA Inventory-Washington State University Revision of Obsessions and Compulsions.The results are discussed to shed light on future research on the comorbidity of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and PTSD.