Introduction

The impact of earthquakes on mental health, including increased depression and anxiety levels, is well known. The 2023 Kahramanmaras earthquake resulted in significant damage and loss of life. However, limited research has focused on the mental health issues related to this earthquake, and it remains unclear whether individuals indirectly affected by the earthquake, such as friends or parents, experience depression and anxiety.

Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the specific effects of the Kahramanmaras earthquake on the mental health of medical students. We specifically examined the levels of depression and anxiety they experienced during this period, considering factors such as gender, hobbies, smoking status, alcohol use, and exercise.

Methods

The study included medical students enrolled at Kars Kafkas University in Kars, Turkey. We used the Beck Depression and Beck Anxiety scales to assess depression and anxiety levels. Participants were categorized into two groups: those with family members affected by the earthquake and those without affected family members.

Results

Our research suggests that university students with family members affected by the Kahramanmaras earthquake may have had higher levels of depression and anxiety compared to unaffected students. Within the earthquake-affected group, close to half of the individuals were discovered to have moderate depression (45.71%).

Conclusion

The study results suggest that individuals who had family members impacted by the earthquake exhibited increased levels of depression and anxiety in contrast to those who did not have affected family members. However, it is important to note that there may be confounding factors influencing these results.