Determining the psychosocial responses of children living in tent cities and homes after an earthquake through drawing: a qualitative thematic analysis

This study was conducted to investigate the emotional, social, and cognitive responses of children residing in different living environments (tent cities and homes) following the earthquake through drawing. The thematic analysis method, a qualitative research approach, was employed. The study was conducted one year after the February 6, 2023 earthquake in Turkey, between March 6 and April 6, 2024, with children living in tent cities and homes in the earthquake zone. Data were collected convenience sampling method and using child and family information forms, drawings made by children about the earthquake and their families, and drawing evaluation forms. Quantitative data were statistically calculated. Qualitative data were analyzed according to themes and sub-themes. The study analyzed drawings by 50 children aged 5-11. Sixty percent of the children were living in their own homes after the earthquake, and 40% were living in tent cities. Five themes (representations of the earthquake and destruction, loss and separation, search for security, social support and solidarity, and hope for the future) and 10 sub-themes related to these were identified in the picture analysis. The themes of social support and solidarity, and representations of the earthquake and destruction, were frequently seen in children living in their homes after the earthquake. Among those living in tent cities, the themes of seeking safety, social support, and solidarity, and representations of the earthquake and destruction were observed. Children expressed both physical damage and emotional needs in their drawings. While themes of shelter were more prominent in the drawings of children staying in tent cities, the drawings of children staying at home focused more clearly on family figures. These findings emphasize the need for child-centered emergency psychosocial support and educational interventions.