Depression and life satisfaction after Kahramanmaraş earthquakes: The serial mediation roles of life meaning and coping with earthquake stress

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).