The Relationship Between Post-Earthquake Trauma Levels and Postpartum Depression Levels

This study aimed to examine the association between post-earthquake traumatic stress and depressive symptoms among postpartum women. This cross-sectional study was conducted between April and July 2024 and included 345 postpartum women who had given birth at a public hospital in Malatya, a province affected by the February 6, 2023, Kahramanmaraş earthquakes in Türkiye. Data were collected using a Personal Information Form, the Post-Earthquake Trauma Level Determination Scale (PETLDS), and the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS). Descriptive statistics, independent samples t-tests, and Pearson correlation analyses were used to analyze the data. The mean age of the participants was 28.39 ± 5.31 years. The mean PETLDS score was 44.03 ± 12.93, and the mean EPDS score was 9.27 ± 4.59. Postpartum women in the EPDS risk group had significantly higher post-earthquake trauma levels than those not in the risk group (p < 0.001).A positive, statistically significant correlation was observed between the PETLDS total and subscale scores (Behavioral Problems, Emotional Numbing, Affective Structuring, Cognitive Structuring, and Sleep Problems) and the total EPDS scores (p < 0.001). Higher post-earthquake trauma levels were associated with greater postpartum depressive symptoms and an increased likelihood of positive EPDS screening.