The effect of post-earthquake trauma levels and coping attitudes on mental well-being of healthcare workers

BackgroundEarthquakes severely affect individuals physically and psychologically. Healthcare workers may experience both primary trauma as earthquake survivors and secondary trauma while caring for victims.ObjectiveThis study was conducted to determine the effect of post-earthquake trauma levels and coping attitudes of healthcare professionals on their mental well-being levels.MethodsThe sample consisted of 298 healthcare workers providing direct patient care at a private hospital in a region affected by the February 6, 2023, earthquake in Türkiye.ResultsThe participants' mean scale scores were 53.31 ± 17.14 for the Post-Earthquake Trauma Level Determination Scale (PETDS), 80.98 ± 13.00 for the Coping Attitudes Assessment Scale (COPE-R), and 52.71 ± 11.15 for the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS). The status of trauma experienced after the earthquake was found to significantly predict coping (β = 0.2209, p < 0.001), and coping significantly predicted mental well-being (β = 0.3649, p < 0.001). Coping skills were found to play a partial mediating role in the relationship between trauma and mental well-being. The trauma experienced by healthcare workers after the earthquake was found to be a negative predictor of mental well-being, while the level of coping was a positive predictor (p < 0.05).ConclusionsIt was found that healthcare workers experienced high trauma exposure and moderate status of mental health following the earthquake. Post-earthquake trauma has a negative impact on mental well-being, but effective coping strategies can partially offset this negative impact. It is recommended that healthcare workers responding to disasters are assessed for secondary trauma and that their mental health be supported by providing the necessary training on psychological resilience, interventions that enhance mental well-being, and effective coping strategies.