Spiritual Meaning Making and Trauma Recovery: Evaluation of a Psycho-social Intervention for Earthquake Survivors in Turkey

KIZILGEÇİT M., Okan N., Demir Y., Çinici M., TEMİZ Y. E., Toprak F. B., ...More

Journal of Religion and Health, vol.64, no.5, pp.4147-4168, 2025 (AHCI, SSCI, Scopus) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 64 Issue: 5
  • Publication Date: 2025
  • Doi Number: 10.1007/s10943-024-02183-5
  • Journal Name: Journal of Religion and Health
  • Journal Indexes: Arts and Humanities Citation Index (AHCI), Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, IBZ Online, Periodicals Index Online, ATLA Religion Database, CINAHL, Index Islamicus, Psycinfo
  • Page Numbers: pp.4147-4168
  • Keywords: Earthquake victims, Meaning focussed healing, Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Psycho-social support, Spiritually oriented logotherapy
  • Inonu University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

This study sets out to develop a psycho-social model for assessing the effectiveness of spiritually oriented logotherapy for earthquake victims with PTSD following the 6 February 2023, Kahramanmaraş earthquake in Turkey. The findings of this study will undoubtedly contribute to the development of post-disaster spiritual support services. We developed and implemented a six-week "Psycho-Social Training Programme through Spiritually Oriented Meaning" in the cities of Malatya, Elazığ and Kahramanmaraş, which were significantly affected by the earthquake. A randomised controlled trial (RCT) design was used, with participants randomly assigned to either the intervention group or the control group. Pre-test and post-test assessments were conducted to evaluate the programme’s impact. The findings were clear: the programme significantly reduced PTSD symptoms (p <.05), proving the effectiveness of a meaning-oriented approach in the survivors’ healing process. Additionally, the programme made a positive contribution to spiritual support services and provided a model to meet post-disaster psychological needs. This programme demonstrated its potential as an effective method for addressing PTSD and enhancing spiritual recovery in earthquake survivors.