Abstract
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the mental health of play-age children affected by the 2023 Türkiye-Syria earthquakes and their mothers, using single-item scales.
METHODS
Four hundred earthquake survivor mother-child dyads were included. The mental health of mothers and children was assessed using single-item screening tools, the Self-Reported Mother Mental Health (SRMH) and the Mother-Reported Child Mental Health (MRCMH).
RESULTS
The prevalence of negative mental health increased from 10% to 52% in play-age children and from 13% to 70% in their mothers after the earthquakes. For post-earthquake negative SRMH, associated factors included limited access to safe water (AOR = 2.52, 95% CI: 1.10-5.75, P = 0.029), good perception of security services (AOR = 0.30, 95% CI: 0.12-0.73, P = 0.008), and post-earthquake negative MRCMH (AOR = 8.65, 95% CI: 4.70-15.91, P P P = 0.039), pre-earthquake negative MRCMH (AOR = 4.68, 95% CI: 1.87-11.73, P = 0.001), and post-earthquake negative SRMH (AOR = 11.35, 95% CI: 5.92-21.76, P < 0.001).
CONCLUSION
Post-earthquake mental health outcomes were most consistently predicted by limited basic resources (water and nutrition services), not good service quality, and pre-existing or co-occurring negative mental health.