Abstract
This study aims to examine the meaning of life, and the mediating effect of strategies for coping with earthquake stress in the relationship between depression, and life satisfaction in survivors of the 2023 Kahramanmaraş centered earthquakes. The participants of this study were 472 adults (31.1% male, 68.9% female; Mage = 24.52) who were affected by earthquakes. The data of the study were tested with the bootstrapping-based PROCESS macro program (Model-81). The results showed that depression negatively predicted life satisfaction. Meaning of life mediated the relationship between depression and life satisfaction. However, problem solving and cognitive avoidance coping strategies reduced the effects of depression and the meaning of life on life satisfaction. These results can be a resource for mental health services for earthquake victims. At the same time, the study provides evidence that protecting personal resources in disaster situations positively affects life satisfaction in terms of conservation of resources theory (COR).
Introduction
On February 6, 2023, a strong 7.7 magnitude earthquake occurred in Turkey. About 9 hours after this devastating earthquake, another 7.6 magnitude earthquake shook the region. According to official sources, more than 50 thousand people lost their lives and approximately 110,000 people were injured. After this disaster, 57 thousand 29 buildings were destroyed and more than 2 million people were evacuated from the earthquake zone (Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency, 2023). While the earthquake causes material damage and loss of life, it can also cause physical and mental problems (Kocoglu et al., 2023). Research has shown that earthquake triggers persistent, common psychological problems such as PTSD, anxiety, and depression (Bavafa et al., 2019; Cénat et al., 2020). Some studies have reported that post-disaster survivors have problems returning to their normal lives and quickly adapting to new conditions, thus negatively affecting their life satisfaction (Luechinger and Raschky, 2009; Mazza et al., 2014). However, although the literature associates the earthquake with significant emotional disorders, few studies examine the relationship between post-earthquake emotional disorders and life satisfaction (Di Bucci et al., 2023; Sun et al., 2020). As a result, the Kahramanmaraş earthquakes may have affected people’s life satisfaction. Therefore, this study focused on investigating the effects of post-disaster depression on life satisfaction, and associated protective factors in a sample of adults who experienced the earthquake.
Depression and life satisfaction
Life satisfaction, which is an important dimension of psychological well-being, includes the general evaluation of life and reflects the level of satisfaction individuals feel from the objective aspects of their lives (Diener et al., 2018). Research results showed that individuals with high life satisfaction have higher health levels and resilience capacities (Garrido et al., 2013; Goel et al., 2018). For example, Parra-Rizo and Sanchis-Soler (2020) reported that adults with high life satisfaction have higher levels of subjective well-being and functional skills.
Earthquake is an important phenomenon that affects people physically, psychologically, and spiritually and can trigger serious and common psychological problems such as depression (Huang et al., 2016). Depression is a disorder characterized by the loss of interest in the activities that the individual usually enjoys and the constant sadness accompanied by the inability to perform daily activities (Fekadu et al., 2017). Mental health outcomes related to disasters show that depression is common in individuals exposed to earthquakes. For example, depression in individuals exposed to the Wenchuan earthquake ranged from 13.6% to 44.8% (Pan et al., 2015; Ying et al., 2014). A study conducted shortly after the 1999 earthquake in Turkey reported the rate of major depression as 31% (Başoğlu et al., 2002).
According to COR, depression can occur when valuable resources are threatened, lost, or unable to obtain resources despite efforts (Hobfoll, 2012). People may have difficulty finding resources after disasters, due to the loss of family members, socio-economic losses, and decreased sensory, and behavioral function (Sattler et al., 2018). Losses in resources can lead to a decrease in life satisfaction by increasing vulnerability to depression. Studies on this subject show that depressive symptoms have a negative relationship with life satisfaction in the general population (Gigantesco et al., 2019; Won et al., 2021). All these results show that depression is one of the strong predictors of life satisfaction after disasters. However, more studies investigating the relationships between variables are needed. In addition, more focus should be placed on protective factors (e.g. meaning of life, coping strategies, etc.) that can help provide higher life satisfaction by reducing the effects of depression.
Meaning of life mediation effect
Meaning of life is the sense of satisfaction one gains as a result of adding a sense of purpose to one’s life, pursuing and achieving valuable goals (Ryff and Singer, 1998). Research on the meaning of life points to two important components: the existence of meaning in life and the search for meaning (Steger et al., 2009). The search for meaning is defined as the power of individual efforts to create a personal understanding of the meaning, significance, and purpose of life. On the other hand, the presence of meaning represents the subjective feeling that one’s life is meaningful (Steger et al., 2009). According to COR, people create resources by interacting with the environment, as well as their beliefs and expectations, and thus obtain meaning in life (Hobfoll and Schumm, 2009). Due to the earthquake, many people may experience a decrease in positive affect and show more depressive symptoms. Especially after the earthquake, the necessity of choosing a future life and the constantly controlling approaches of the immediate environment can lead to increased depressive feelings. This can make earthquake victims particularly vulnerable to feeling like life is meaningless. Frankl (2006) emphasized that when people find meaning in life, the impact of negative conditions decreases and such experiences reduce the negative effects on life satisfaction. Therefore, creating new meanings about life in individuals who are likely to report depression can create a broader perspective on life and reveal the importance of previous positive experiences (Park, 2010). The results of previous studies have shown that meaning in life affects a person’s life satisfaction in various pathways (Martela and Steger, 2016; Steger et al., 2011). A previous study has shown that the presence of a higher meaning in life contributes to increased levels of life satisfaction (Glaw et al., 2017). As a result, meaning in life significantly affects all dimensions of life satisfaction, including physical, emotional, social, and functional satisfaction. According to the relevant literature, in this study, we accepted that the meaning of life as a psychological resource can buffer the effect of depression on life satisfaction.
Depression, the meaning of life, coping with earthquake stress and life satisfaction
COR (Hobfoll, 1989) emphasizes that actions in daily life, such as going to school or work, interacting with people, and accessing health care, help conserve and maintain resources. This situation protects mental health. On the other hand, loss of resources can negatively affect mental health. Therefore, in line with the COR, it is very important to minimize post-disaster resource loss and protect existing resources (Hobfoll, 2012). Limiting the use of personal and social resources after an earthquake may harm individuals’ emotional regulation skills. Post-disaster individuals often experience difficulties with emotional awareness and decreased clarity, and may have lower emotional tolerance (Chesney and Gordon, 2017). In this context, previous research has linked maladaptive emotion regulation strategies and deficits in emotional functioning after the earthquake with depression (Pardue, 2018; Wahab et al., 2021). However, symptoms including decreased positive affect/anhedonia found in depression (e.g. limited affect, decreased interest, and detachment from the environment) may negatively impact meaning in life. It is known that individuals with high levels of depression spend more limited time and effort on achieving their life goals. A decline in awareness, understanding, and acceptance of emotional experiences can harm the four most common foundational sources of meaning in life, including achievement, relationship, spirituality, and productivity (Disabato et al., 2017). Recent studies support that depression has an impact on meaning in life (Kim et al., 2019; Parra, 2020).
However, the lack of meaning in life can increase the desire to run away from problems instead of coping with them and reveal an existential problem (Frankl, 2006). Indeed, the presence of meaning in life can help to cope with stress by promoting commitment to others and emotional expression (Halama, 2014). An increasing sense of meaning, especially in negative experiences such as earthquakes, can positively affect coping strategies such as receiving social support and positive reappraisal. Therefore, meaning in life can be seen as a protective personal resource for mental health. Studies in the literature show that there are relationships between the meaning of life and coping (Krok and Telka, 2019; Ward et al., 2023).
Moreover, the strategy of receiving social support among earthquake survivors can contribute positively to life satisfaction. Research on earthquake victims has shown that the support of the social environment is positively associated with life satisfaction (Huang and Wong, 2014; Wuhuang et al., 2012). Mesidor and Sly (2019) stated that getting support from important people, friends, and family (social support) to cope with a traumatic event such as an earthquake can contribute positively to the improvement of mental health. Similarly, another effective coping strategy in coping with earthquake stress is positive reappraisal (Wlodarczyk et al., 2016). Positive appraisal is defined as a mental restructuring method to change the negative effects of a situation that evokes negative emotions (Gross, 1998). Positive reappraisal involves reexamining the individual’s stressors. Previous research has proven that positive reappraisal is strongly associated with positive outcomes after traumatic experiences (Prati and Pietrantoni, 2009; Rood et al., 2012). As a result, both strategies for coping with earthquake stress can provide survivors with a sense of belonging and prevent them from constantly thinking about negative consequences.
Present study
The earthquakes are relatively sudden, uncontrollable, and unpredictable negatively affecting mental health. After the earthquake, individuals’ depression levels increase (Hong and Efferth, 2016) and their life satisfaction may decrease (Wang and Li, 2020). Although there is some evidence that life meaning and coping with earthquake stress may serve as an adaptation strategy for a possible depressive symptom, few studies have analyzed the meaning of life and the mediating role of strategies and their relationship to life satisfaction. In this context, this study is important in terms of analyzing the mediating role of life meaning and coping mechanisms in the face of the consequences of an important mental disorder such as post-earthquake depression on life satisfaction.
Also, there are very few studies examining life satisfaction after an earthquake in Turkey (Karayurt et al., 2008). Considering the high earthquake risk and the size of the Turkish population, this result stands out as an important deficiency in the literature. Therefore, research findings can help guide preparation, response, and recovery programs for subsequent disaster experiences. Based on all this information, this study aims to examine the mediation effect of the meaning of life, and strategies for coping with earthquake stress in the relationship between depression levels, and life satisfaction of adults who experienced earthquakes. Accordingly, the following research hypotheses have been proposed:
Materials and methods
Participants and procedure
Necessary ethical permission was obtained for this scientific study, and conducted by the Declaration of Helsinki. Inclusion criteria for the study included: (1) being over 18 years old (2) experiencing the earthquake directly, (3) using a computer and having access to the internet, (4) being able to understand and read Turkish, (5) having an e-mail address or social media account (6) willing to participate in the research. Exclusion criteria were: (1) being diagnosed with pre-earthquake depression, (2) receiving any psychological treatment, and (3) meeting criteria for psychosis or a serious personality disorder.
After the earthquakes in Turkey, the need to continue education emerged and distance learning came to the fore as an important solution. In this context, students in 10 provinces affected by the disaster were directed to universities in other provinces to ensure that they continued their education without interruption. Some of the earthquake victim students started to take the distance learning process at the university where one of the researchers worked. The researchers used a snowball method to distribute online surveys they had prepared via Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram, and email via the Google Forms platform and asked students to share the link to the survey web page with their acquaintances. They also created the survey form in such a way that a participant could only submit one form, and proceed to the survey questions after giving informed consent. In the informed consent form, information about the purpose of the study, its operation, and the average time of completing the questionnaire was given to the participants. Participation was completely voluntary and participants left the study at any time. Study participants were encouraged to fill out the online questionnaire at their leisure, and data collection was completed between May and June 2023.
The researchers reached 495 people as a result of the data collection process. They recorded a total of 472 [females (68.9%) and males (31.1%)] valid questionnaires after excluding missing and incorrectly marked forms that did not satisfy the assumption of normality. In terms of loss of relatives, 38% of the participants reported that at least one relative died due to the earthquake. Considering the housing situation, 40% of the participants stated that they lived elsewhere because their house was damaged in the earthquake. The age range of the participants was 18–25 (72.6%), 26–39 (25.2%), and 40–53 (2.1%). Additionally, 75% of participants were college students, 23% of participants had graduate school degrees, and 2% of participants had doctoral graduate degrees.
Measures
Brief symptom inventory
The scale was developed by Derogatis (1975) and its Turkish version was revised by Sahin and Durak (1994). Brief symptom inventory includes five subscales: anxiety, depression, negative self, somatization, and anger/aggression. In this study, a 12-item depression subscale was used to evaluate the depression levels of adults (e.g. “feeling lonely even when with other people”). Items are rated on a 4-point Likert scale from 0 (never) to 4 (severe), and high scores reflect high levels of depression. In this study, the Cronbach alpha value of the depression subscale was 0.92.
The satisfaction with life scale
This scale was developed by Diener et al. (1985). Dağlı and Baysal (2016) carried out the Turkish adaptation of the scale. The scale includes five items (e.g. “I am satisfied with my life”) and is graded from 1 (I strongly disagree) to 5 (I totally agree). Higher scores indicate higher life satisfaction. In this study, Cronbach’s alpha value was calculated as 0.89.
Meaningful living measure (MLS)
MLS was developed by Arslan (2020). The MLS is rated from 1 (Strongly disagree) to 7 (Strongly agree) and contains a total of six items (e.g. “I find my life meaningful as a whole”). The total score represents the sum of all responses, and higher scores indicate a greater presence of meaning in life. The Cronbach’s alpha value was 0.86 in this study.
Coping with earthquake stress scale (CESS)
CESS was developed by Yöndem and Eren (2008) to determine the coping strategies of adults with earthquake stress. The scale has a total of 16 items. In addition, this scale consists of three subscales: “Positive Reappraisal” (e.g. I try to be more optimistic about life), “Seeking Social Support” (e.g. I share my experiences with family or friends), and “Religious Coping” (e.g. “I try to relax by praying”). Items are rated on a 4-point Likert scale from 1 (Never) to 4 (Always), and the high score for each dimension reflects the individual’s use of that coping strategy more, and the low one less. The Cronbach alpha values of the Positive Reappraisal and Seeking Social Support coping strategies for this study were 0.83 and 0.80, respectively.
Data analysis
First, descriptive statistics are reported. Correlation analysis was then conducted to examine the relationship between depression, life satisfaction, meaning of life, and strategies for coping with earthquake stress. Additionally, Hayes’ PROCESS macro was used to examine mediation relationships (Model-81). In the mediation analysis, “ the loss of family members in earthquake” was made a covariate, and used as a control variable. To investigate indirect mediation effects, the bootstrap method was applied with 5000 resamplings and 95% confidence intervals with bias correction (Hayes, 2018). All data analyses were performed with SPSS 24.0.
Results
Preliminary analyses
The skewness and kurtosis values for the research variables ranged from -1.00 to 0.47, indicating that the data met the necessary criteria for meeting the normality assumption (Tabachnick and Fidell, 2013). The correlation results showed were negative, significant relationship at the level between depression and life satisfaction (r = −0.53, p < 0.01), meaning in life (r = −0.47, p < 0.01), and positive reappraisal (r = −0.43, p < 0.01). However, a low, negative, and significant relationship emerged between depression and seeking social support (r = −0.26, p < 0.01). There was no significant relationship between depression and religious coping (r = −0.03, p > 0.01). Meaning in life was moderately and positively related to life satisfaction (r = 0.57, p < 0.01), religious coping (r = 0.36, p < 0.01), positive reappraisal (r = 0.66, p < 0.01), and seeking social support (r = 0.36, p < 0.01). Additionally, religious coping is modestly and positively related to life satisfaction (r = 0.28, p < 0.01). The results revealed that there were moderate, positive, and significant relationships between positive reappraisal and life satisfaction (r = 0.50, p < 0.01), and between seeking social support and life satisfaction (r = 0.35, p < 0.01). Descriptive statistics and correlation results are given in Table 1.
Descriptive statistics and correlation between the variables.
p < 0.01.
Mediation analyzes
We examined the direct and indirect relationships between the measured variables of the study. Findings show that depression predicts life satisfaction at a negative level (β = −0.11, p < 0.05). Afterward, we determined that depression negatively predicted the meaning of life (β = −0.34, p < 0.05), Seeking Social Support (β = −0.03, p < 0.05), and Positive Reappraisal (β = −0.05, p < 0.05). However, the meaning of life positively predicted Seeking Social Support (β = 0.13, p < 0.05), Positive Reappraisal (β = 0.26, p < 0.05), and life satisfaction (β = 0.16, p < 0.05). While Seeking Social Support positively predicted life satisfaction (β = 0.15, p < 0.05), similarly Positive Reappraisal predicted life satisfaction (β = 0.17, p < 0.05) positively. All variables in the model explain 44.9% of the variance in life satisfaction (See Figure 1).

The mediation depicting the associations between study variables.
The final stage of the analysis process examined the indirect effects of life meaning, social support seeking, and positive reappraisal on life satisfaction (Model 81). The results reveal that there is a significant decrease in the direct effect of depression on life satisfaction when the variables of meaning in life, seeking social support, and positive reappraisal are added to the model (β = −0.11, 95% CI = −0.1434, −0.0776). Total indirect effect values show that meaning in life, seeking social support, and positive reappraisal mediate the relationship between depression and life satisfaction (β = −0.089, 95% CI = −0.1128, −0.0683). The standardized indirect effects of the model are presented in Table 2.
Standardized indirect effects.
DS: Depression; LM: Life Meaning; SSS: Seeking Social Support; PR: Positive Reappraisal; LS: Life Satisfaction.
Discussion
Depression and life satisfaction
The results of this study confirm the initial hypothesis that earthquake depression scores negatively predict life satisfaction. This study provides evidence that adults experience depressive symptoms after the Kahramanmaraş earthquakes. This finding is consistent with other studies describing the relationships between depression levels and life satisfaction among survivors of natural disasters (e.g. the earthquake and tsunami disaster) (Dong et al., 2013; Siqveland et al., 2015). In addition, this result supports the theory of conservation of resources, which argues that the loss of motivation experienced by individuals at the point of protecting resources in challenging experiences reveals depression and thus complicates life satisfaction (Hobfoll, 2012). After an earthquake, a lack of professional, social, and financial resources can increase the risk of depression. Post-disaster depression symptoms can damage social relationships and lead to a decline in educational achievement and job performance (Sasaki et al., 2019). As a result, it may reduce the life satisfaction of earthquake victims by negatively affecting their living spaces. Similarly, according to Frankl (2006), depressed individuals report less life satisfaction due to semantic inhibitions after painful experiences. Therefore, increasing psychological resources in earthquake victims (e.g. making sense of life, and increasing coping resources) may be effective in reducing the negative effects of existential inhibitions on life satisfaction.
Meaning of life mediation effect
The findings of this study showed the meaning of life in earthquake survivor adults mediated the relationship between depression and life satisfaction. This finding supports the second hypothesis of the study. Many studies have emphasized that meaning in life is important for mental health (Delle-Fave et al., 2013; Wong, 2012). According to the COR approach, people try to find meaning from various sources in the face of difficulties (Hobfoll, 1989). Especially having goals that are worthwhile in the future and having achieved some goals in the past probably play an important role in this assessment (Martela and Steger, 2016). Good relations with the immediate environment can be effective in making these assessments (Hombrados-Mendieta et al., 2019). After the Kahramanmaraş earthquakes, the Turkish people started a relief campaign and showed an important example of social solidarity. Helping to meet the various daily needs of survivors can contribute to the individual’s relationships with others in the community. Previous research has documented the relationship between post-disaster depression and meaning in life (Gim and Shin, 2022; Masedu et al., 2014).
However, research has revealed that the existence of meaning in life is associated with desired psychological outcomes such as life satisfaction (Edwards and Van Tongeren, 2020; Heng et al., 2020). Meaning in life is an important condition for people to balance the resources they lose in their lives and gain other resources (Snyder et al., 2020). According to Frankl (2006), meaning in life alleviates the stress individuals experience as a result of sad events. Meaning in life can contribute to people’s mental health in difficult times and act as a protective personal resource against psychological problems. People may experience difficulties due to uncertainty and fear after the earthquake. However, recognizing the meaning in life can help earthquake survivors overcome their existential crisis of growth and development after a traumatic experience, thus increasing their life satisfaction. Mostarac and Brajković (2022) found that meaning in life after traumatic experiences is positively related to life satisfaction. Accordingly, increasing the meaning of life in earthquake victim adults can support recovery from depression by buffering the negative effects of negative experiences and reductions in resources on life satisfaction.
The serial mediation roles of life meaning and coping with earthquake stress
The findings of this study show that the use of positive reappraisal and social support-seeking coping strategies by earthquake-experienced adults mediates the relationship between depression, the meaning of life, and life satisfaction. Depressive symptoms in disaster victims can lower an individual’s meaning in life (Drescher et al., 2012). The findings of our study show that the meaning of life is an individual resource that protects the mental health of individuals against depression after the earthquake. In terms of COR theory, a high level of meaning in life minimizes resource loss and ensures the protection of resources (Ferreira et al., 2018). Therefore, the meaning of life can encourage effective coping as it is a personal resource in adapting individuals to daily life after the earthquake (Cohn et al., 2009; Ong et al., 2006).
Studies show that strategies for coping with stress are an important factor that increases individuals’ life satisfaction (Buser and Kearney, 2017; Saklofske et al., 2012). These results are consistent with the research findings. Maintaining social relations, especially after negative situations such as disasters, helps individuals to improve their life satisfaction (Nguyen and Tran, 2015; Yamaguchi et al., 2017). Social support can be a personal resource for individuals to protect their mental health after a disaster (Kaniasty and Norris, 2008). After the Nepal (Adhikari Baral and Bhagawati, 2019) and Croatia earthquakes (Löw et al., 2023), it was determined that victims seeking social support experienced fewer negative effects of trauma. Therefore, helping each other after a major disaster such as an earthquake and a sense of belonging in society can increase life satisfaction.
Similarly, after the earthquake, people’s re-evaluation by finding some positive meanings in the face of negative results can positively affect their life satisfaction. Consistent with our results, research shows that positive reappraisal is associated with higher life satisfaction (Dezutter et al., 2017; Suen et al., 2021). Positive reappraisal can approach the event from a different angle, recognizing the positive value of the event. Thus, the perception of adults who are victims of earthquakes can be more positive. This can increase the life satisfaction of individuals experiencing earthquakes.
Limitations and implications
Although the research has important results, there are some limitations. First, since the study has a cross-sectional design, inferences including causality were made carefully. Therefore, longitudinal research should be done to examine the causal relationships between the variables. Second, we performed the data collection process 3–4 months after the earthquake. Measurements to be made at different times can give more detailed information about the effect of the earthquake on life satisfaction. Third, the participation of women in the study is higher than by gender. At the same time, young adults participated more in the study. In later studies, attention can be paid to both individuals of different ages and gender balance. Fourth, participants needed internet access to fill in our scales. For these reasons, we did not include people without internet access in the study. In future studies, a face-to-face data collection method may be preferred. Finally, variables of COR theory including personal factors were used in the research. The sources of COR theory including social factors can also be used in future research.
Conclusion
Our results reveal that the high meaning of life, positive reappraisal, and social support-seeking coping strategies increase life satisfaction in earthquake victims. This result supports the COR theory, which states that individuals with sufficient personal resources can have good mental health. Our study contributes to the assumptions of COR theory.
Footnotes
Authors’ note
All authors declare that this article is an original work that has not been posted or published anywhere else. All authors declare that they have read, and approved the article, and meet the authorship criteria
Authors’ contributions
Study conception/design; SC, AP. Data collection; SC, AP. Analysis; AP. Drafting of the manuscript; SC, AP. Supervision; SC, AP
Data sharing statement
The datasets analyzed in the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Declaration of conflicting interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Funding
The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Ethics approval
Atatürk University Educational Sciences Unit Ethics Board (meeting number: 04, and decision number: 14) approved this study.
Informed consent
Participants have provided their written informed consent to participate in this study.
