The role of intrinsic spirituality, emotion dysregulation, and resilience on post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms in university students who survived earthquake

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PURPOSE: The study aimed to explore the relationship between intrinsic spirituality, emotion dysregulation, resilience, and PTSD in Turkish university students who were earthquake survivors. In addition, the validity and reliability of the Brief Emotion Dysregulation Scale (BEDS) were evaluated among Turkish university students who were earthquake survivors. METHODS: A sample of 651 Turkish university students who were earthquake survivors participated in an online survey distributed via WhatsApp, completing the Intrinsic Spirituality Scale (ISS), the Brief Emotion Dysregulation Scale (BEDS), the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), and the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5. Structural equation modeling and mediation analysis were employed to explore the predictive relationships between these psychological variables and PTSD symptoms. RESULTS: The findings confirmed that the BEDS is a valid and reliable scale for assessing emotion dysregulation levels in Turkish university students who were earthquake survivors. Intrinsic spirituality had a negative correlation between emotion dysregulation and PTSD, indicating that higher levels of PTSD are associated with lower intrinsic spirituality. A positive correlation was found between intrinsic spirituality and resilience, suggesting that increased intrinsic spirituality is linked to higher levels of resilience. Furthermore, emotion dysregulation and resilience were found to mediate the relationship between intrinsic spirituality and PTSD. Moreover, emotion dysregulation has a mediating effect in the relationship between resilience and PTSD. CONCLUSIONS: The study highlights the determinant effects of intrinsic spirituality on emotional dysregulation, resilience and PTSD in Turkish university students who survived the earthquake. Interventions and support programs designed to reduce PTSD symptoms should benefit from the results of this research, and future research should include longitudinal studies to assess the long-term effects of intrinsic spirituality on PTSD. It is also crucial to examine the effects on various demographic groups, including differences in age, education level, and socio-economic status.