Aim COVID‐19 pandemic has created a serious psychological impact worldwide since it has been declared. This study aims to investigate the level of psychological impacts of COVID‐19 pandemic on Turkish population and to determine related factors. Methods The study was carried out by using an online questionnaire using the virtual snowball sampling method. The sociodemographic data were collected on the following subjects: participants’ experience on any signs of infection within the last month, the history of COVID‐19 contact‐treatment‐quarantine, level of compliance with precautionary measures, the sources of information and level of knowledge about the pandemic process and their belief levels on the knowledge they acquire. Besides, the questions that take place in the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale‐21 (DASS‐21), and “Impact of Events Scale‐Revised (IES‐R) were asked to participants. Results Of the 3549 participants, anxiety was found in 15.8%, depression in 22.6%, stress in 12.9%, and psychological trauma in 20.29% based on moderate and above levels. Female gender, young age, higher education level, being single, high monthly income, presence of psychiatric illness, a large number of people living together, having any signs of infection, and contact history with COVID‐19 infected person or contaminated object are identified as risk factors that may increase psychological impact. Compliance with the rules was found to reduce the risk of psychological response. Conclusions The risk factors for the psychological impact of COVID‐19 pandemic, and acknowledging these factors can help to formulate the interventions to reduce the stress levels of the population.
7 July 2025 in Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness
Objectives: On February 6, 2023, 7.7 and 7.6 magnitude earthquakes struck southeastern Türkiye, affecting 11 provinces and causing significant losses. This study aims to assess the mental health status of survivors in the twelfth month after the earthquake. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online survey with the virtual snowball sampling method. The survey included sociodemographic data, previous traumas, earthquake-related experiences, and the Post-Earthquake Trauma Level Determining Scale (PETLDS) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Results: The study included 2544 participants. The mean PETLDS score was 58.14±18.18, indicating that the participants were highly traumatized. Among them, 59.5% had high levels of post-traumatic symptoms, 44.2% had high anxiety, and 61% had high depression symptoms. 35.77% of participants displayed a co-occurrence of post-traumatic stress along with anxiety and depression. Female gender was the strongest predictor of high-level trauma and anxiety, while a history of psychiatric disorder was the strongest predictor of depression. Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that symptoms were predicted by low income, low education level, smoking, comorbid chronic diseases, past traumatic experiences, the loss or injury of a loved one due to the earthquake, personal injury, temporary displacement, and damage to homes and workplaces. Conclusions: The findings suggest that one year after the earthquake, mental health problems are prevalent among survivors, highlighting the need for urgent psychiatric interventions.
Background/Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate burnout, psychological distress, and intention to quit among healthcare workers one year after the 6 February 2023 earthquakes, and to examine the relative contributions of disaster-related exposures and organizational factors using a hierarchical analytical approach. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 640 healthcare workers from a tertiary referral hospital in one of the provinces most severely affected by the earthquakes. Data were collected using validated instruments, including the Maslach Burnout Inventory, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Impact of Event Scale–Revised, and Intention to Quit Scale. Hierarchical multiple linear regression analyses were performed to evaluate factors associated with burnout dimensions, psychiatric symptoms, and intention to quit. Results: Clinically significant anxiety symptoms were observed in 32.5% of participants, depressive symptoms in 55.8%, and PTSD risk in 54.1%. Low personal accomplishment was the most prevalent burnout dimension (69.1%), while high emotional exhaustion and depersonalization were observed in 43.0% and 18.9% of participants, respectively. Workplace climate variables accounted for the largest increment in explained variance across all seven models. Low job satisfaction was the strongest and most consistent factor associated with adverse outcomes, with standardized coefficients ranging from β = +0.27 to +0.61. Non-close colleague relations were independently associated with higher burnout, anxiety, depression, and intention to quit scores, as well as lower personal accomplishment. Despite the high prevalence of psychological symptoms, post-earthquake psychiatric help-seeking was reported by only 6.2% of participants. Conclusions: One year after the earthquakes, healthcare workers continued to experience a substantial psychological burden. Although disaster-related exposures were associated with several adverse outcomes, organizational factors appeared to demonstrate more consistent associations with mental health indicators. These findings highlight the potential importance of improving modifiable workplace conditions to support psychological well-being and workforce sustainability in post-disaster healthcare systems.