The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, and stress among earthquake survivors following the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes. This cross-sectional study included 461 earthquake survivors. The findings revealed prevalence rates of 17.4% for PTSD, 61.2% for depression, 79.4% for anxiety, and 58.4% for stress. A moderately significant positive correlation was found between PTSD and depression ( r = 0.434), anxiety ( r = 0.543), and stress ( r = 0.534). Female participants had a higher risk for PTSD (OR = 2.144, p = 0.028) and anxiety (OR = 2.014, p = 0.005). Being unmarried was associated with increased risks for depression (OR = 1.597, p = 0.030) and anxiety (OR = 1.523, p = 0.045). Participants aged 33–67 had a significantly lower risk of developing PTSD (OR = 0.079, p = 0.022). Increased psychological support is essential for earthquake survivors’ mental health recovery.

This study was conducted to identify the challenges faced by medical rescue teams during the response phase of sudden-onset disasters and provide a comprehensive understanding of these challenges. Peer-reviewed, English-language articles published until January 2023 that described the challenges faced by medical rescue teams during disaster response were searched in the Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane, PubMed, and Science Direct databases. The articles were assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) version 2018, a quality evaluation tool, and a qualitative thematic synthesis approach was adopted. A total of 353 publications were identified, and 18 of these met the inclusion criteria. Of the 18 included studies, 8 were review articles, 4 were special reports, 3 were cross-sectional studies, 1 was a mixed methods study, 1 was a qualitative study, and 1 was a short communication. Through qualitative analysis, the challenges faced by medical rescue teams during disaster response were categorized into 6 factors: organizational, individual, environmental and health, logistical, communication and information, and other factors. These factors are significant in terms of issues such as delayed access to disaster victims, disruptions in response processes, and an increase in morbidity and mortality rates. Therefore, the findings in our study shed light on future research in the field of disasters and offer opportunities to develop a roadmap for improving the conditions of medical rescue teams.

Objectives: This study assessed psychological hardiness and compassion satisfaction among the Türk Kızılay (Turkish Red Crescent) personnel and volunteers involved in the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquake. Additionally, the relationship between compassion satisfaction and psychological hardiness was also investigated. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between March and July 2023. Participants completed an online survey, which included the Sociodemographic Information Form, Psychological Hardiness Scale, and Compassion Satisfaction Scale. The data was analyzed with SPSS version 25 (IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, USA), using a significance level of 95% and p < 0.05. Results: The study involved 400 participants, comprising 84 (21%) personnel and 316 (79%) volunteers. Participants exhibited an average psychological hardiness level of 24.56 ± 7.25 and a compassion satisfaction level of 47.40 ± 17.28. A significant positive correlation was observed between compassion satisfaction and psychological hardiness (r = 0.571; p < 0.001). The results of logistics regression have revealed that the level of psychological hardiness is higher in males compared to females (OR = 1.930, CI = 1.115 − 3.340; P < 0.05) and is also higher in those with high compassion satisfaction compared to those with low compassion satisfaction (OR = 1.386, CI = 1.256 − 1.529; p < 0.001). Conclusions: The findings of this study indicate that individuals involved in disaster response should consider compassion satisfaction as an important tool for enhancing psychological hardiness.

The 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes, one of Turkey’s most devastating disasters, highlighted the importance of effective disaster response operations. This study evaluates the experiences of Turkish Red Crescent (Türk Kızılay) personnel during the earthquake response to identify operational strengths and weaknesses and provide recommendations for enhancing disaster management practices. A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted with 683 Türk Kızılay personnel who participated in the earthquake response. Data were collected through structured surveys comprising quantitative metrics and qualitative feedback. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS for descriptive and inferential statistics, while qualitative data were subjected to thematic analysis. Participants were predominantly male (77.5%), with an average age of 35.66 years. Over two-thirds (68.5%) were deployed within 10 days post-earthquake, with an average deployment of 64.02 days. Nearly half (47.7%) had prior disaster experience, of which 38.2% was earthquake-related. Strengths included nutrition services, humanitarian aid, and logistics, while weaknesses were evident in shelter provision, crisis management, and volunteer coordination. Challenges related to hygiene facilities, workforce distribution, and rest support were common. Despite these, personnel reported strong organizational belonging, effective stakeholder relationships, and positive perceptions of leadership. This study underscores the critical role of Türk Kızılay personnel in disaster response, revealing both operational successes and areas for development. Enhanced resource management, personnel support systems, and field hygiene improvements are necessary to strengthen disaster response capabilities and ensure personnel well-being.

This study evaluates the reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the Work-Related Stress Scale (WRSS) among search and rescue workers who responded to the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes. Data were collected from 275 workers between January and April 2024 using the Personal Information Form and the Turkish version of the WRSS. Language, content, and construct validity were assessed, and reliability was determined using item-total correlation, Cronbach’s alpha, split-half, and test-retest methods. The scale demonstrated strong content validity with a CVI range of 0.9–1.0 and a mean CVI of 0.98. Exploratory factor analysis yielded factor loadings from 0.469 to 0.932, resulting in four factors that explained 75.3% of the variance. The reliability coefficients for the sub-dimensions ranged from 0.833 to 0.900, with an overall Cronbach’s alpha of 0.913. These results indicate that the Turkish WRSS is a valid and reliable tool for assessing stress among search and rescue workers.