Coping strategies and psychological outcomes following the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes: a systematic review with meta-analytic synthesis
Year: 2026
Type: review
Study designs: Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis
Abstract: Background: The 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes caused unprecedented devastation across southern Türkiye, resulting in widespread psychological distress among survivors. Identifying coping strategies linked to better mental health outcomes is essential for guiding post-disaster support. Objective: To systematically synthesize quantitative evidence on associations between coping strategies and psychological outcomes (PTSD/trauma symptoms, depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic growth [PTG]) among adult survivors of the 2023 earthquakes, and to meta-analyze associations reported in at least two independent studies. Methods: = 6,223) met inclusion criteria. Data were extracted using a standardized form, study quality was appraised with an adapted Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, and random-effects meta-analyses were conducted for coping-outcome pairs reported in ≥2 studies; remaining associations were summarized descriptively. Results: Meta-analytic evidence indicated that resilience was consistently associated with lower psychological distress, including post-earthquake trauma severity (pooled r = -0.44), depression (r = -0.41), anxiety (r = -0.43), and overall distress across four studies (r = -0.42). Perceived social support/support-seeking coping was moderately associated with lower PTSD/trauma-related symptoms (pooled r = -0.31). Religious coping (pooled r = -0.21) and positive reappraisal (pooled r = -0.19) showed small inverse associations with PTSD symptoms but with substantial heterogeneity. In single-study analyses, meaning-centered coping and self-compassion were associated with higher PTG, suggesting potentially important pathways that require replication. Conclusion: Coping processes are meaningfully linked to psychological adjustment after the Kahramanmaraş earthquakes. The most robust evidence supports resilience and social support as protective correlates of lower distress. Evidence for religious coping and positive reappraisal is suggestive but heterogeneous, and PTG-related findings remain preliminary due to limited replication. Longitudinal and intervention-based research is needed to clarify causal mechanisms and inform culturally responsive disaster mental health programs. Systematic review registration: https://osf.io/7z2pe/overview.
Source: Frontiers in Public Health
Authors: Metin Çınaroğlu, Eda Yılmazer
Institutions: İstanbul Nişantaşı Üniversitesi, Beykoz Üniversitesi
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,801
OpenAlex ID: W7133522010