Earthquake Survivors And Depression Development: A Case Study Of 12 Years Later Ziarat Earthquake, Balochistan

Abstract

Earthquakes trigger significant psychological impairments in various areas of human development. Studies indicate that exposure to earthquakes enhances psychological disorders, particularly depressive risks. The study’s prime objectives are to screen individuals with depression and to see an association between earthquake and depression after 12 years of disaster. The total sample size is 1140 using cluster sampling. The outcome variable depression is screened using the BDI-II cut-off scores. X² test is used to compare participants’ characteristics for all categorical variables and the Kruskal-Wallis test the ANOVA (One-Way Analysis of Variance) is used for scale variables in this study. To see an association between current depression and an individual’s earthquake experience with not having experienced an earthquake as a reference group, logistic regression is employed. In this study, all the tests follow two-sided statistical tests, and inferences with a P < 0.05 have ultimately been accounted statistically significant. Analyses of the study are performed in IBM SPSS statistics 25. Using (CI) confidence interval (95%) and odds ratios (ORs) for earthquake experience and depression association are used, at the time of the earthquake, the results after adjustment for age, gender, income, education, smoking status, drinking, and residence at Ziarat from one to two years after the tremor show that depression risk in the bereaved subgroup is 2.72 times (OR 2.72, CI 95%. 1.20-6.47) higher than that in the group having no experience of an earthquake. nevertheless, there is not reported any statistically significant linkage in the non-bereaved group of earthquake experience. Strengthening the social cohesion of communities may lead to quick recovery from traumatic events. Policymakers and Professional clinicians in the public health domain need to prioritize additional early social support to disasters survivors to reduce mental health problems, particularly in the earthquake-hit areas.