Depression and anxiety in unexposed medical students following the Kahramanmaraş Earthquake

Natural disasters can have profound and long-lasting effects on both physical and mental health. Earthquakes, in particular, are associated with severe psychological consequences, including elevated rates of depression and anxiety. In 2023, a major earthquake with magnitudes of 7.7 and 7.6 struck Kahramanmaraş, Turkey, resulting in 31,643 fatalities and 80,278 injuries, according to official reports. Many individuals remained unrescued for extended periods. However, the psychological impact on indirectly affected populations, such as students whose families were in the disaster zone, remains understudied. This cross-sectional study involved 129 medical students. Sociodemographic data were collected, and mental health status was assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). Approximately 25% of the medical students at the university participated in the study. Among the 129 respondents, 35 (27.13%) reported being indirectly affected by the earthquake through impacts on their families. Within this group, 45.71% showed moderate levels of depression, compared to 22.34% in the non-affected group. Mean depression scores were higher among the affected students, although variability was observed. Additionally, 37.14% of affected students reported severe anxiety, whereas 13.9% of the non-affected group reported similar levels, suggesting a potential trend but not establishing causation. The findings indicate that indirect exposure to a natural disaster through affected family members is associated with increased depressive and anxiety symptoms, with female students showing higher anxiety levels. These results highlight the need for universities to provide targeted mental health support to indirectly affected student populations following earthquakes.