A Remote Access Qualitative Study Protocol to Investigate the Coping Strategies in the Mindset of the Affected Adults after the 2025 Myanmar Earthquake

On March 28, 2025, a 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar (GLIDE #EQ-2025-000043-MMR), compounding the country's existing political instability, economic fragility, and infrastructural weaknesses. Although seismic events have recurred throughout history, limited knowledge exists regarding how working-age adults (18-60), who play a central role in recovery, mobilize personal, cultural, and community resources to cope with adversity and reconstruct their lives. This is a protocol clarification for a remote access qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with 30 purposively sampled participants, half from heavily impacted zones (Sagaing, Mandalay) and half from nearby regions experiencing secondary disruption (Yangon). Using a remote system, interviews will be audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed thematically following Graneheim and Lundman's approach. This study aims to identify key coping strategies, including social support networks, spiritual practices, and local initiatives of working-age adults in Myanmar, and to compare how exposure severity shapes adaptive responses. Anticipated themes based on existing disaster and resilience literature include community-led resilience, hope through faith, and resource-sharing practices. Findings are expected to offer in-depth, culturally grounded insights that can inform disaster recovery programs, psychosocial support services, and policy frameworks aimed at strengthening resilience in Myanmar and similar low-resource, low-accessibility, crisis-affected settings.