Communication-related anxiety in disaster-affected cities: indirect effects of disconnection

This study examines communication-related anxiety in disaster-affected cities by focusing on the indirect effects of communication disruption following a large-scale natural disaster. Individuals living in cities exposed to different levels of destruction may experience varying degrees of anxiety related to loss of communication, information access, and social connection. The study tested a moderated mediation model in which the city of residence predicted total communication-related anxiety via communication-related subdimensions, with access to a phone or the internet during the disaster serving as a moderator. Data were collected from 463 participants living in three cities severely affected by the 2023 Türkiye earthquakes. Results indicated that city differences were indirectly associated with anxiety through communication-related dimensions, including inability to communicate, loss of connectedness, and difficulty accessing information. Direct effects of the city were generally not significant, whereas indirect effects were significant. Communication access during the disaster did not moderate the indirect paths. These findings suggest that post-disaster anxiety is influenced more by perceived communication disruption than by physical location alone, highlighting the psychological importance of communication continuity in disaster contexts.