Resilience Training for University Students After the Earthquakes

Summary

Earthquakes can have strong emotional effects on people, especially large disasters such as the Kahramanmaraş earthquakes on February 6, 2023. The anniversaries of such events can be difficult times when fear, anxiety, and memories of loss may return. This study aims to increase the psychological resilience and psychological well-being of university students who are beginning their first year.

The target group of this study is students in the foreign language preparatory program, whether they have personally experienced the earthquake or not. The study will examine the effects of a six-week workshop program designed for these students.

The study includes three measurement points: a pre-test, a post-test, and a follow-up test. All students will be invited to complete the initial screening, which will assess their resilience and psychological well-being levels. Students who meet the eligibility criteria will be randomly assigned to either the intervention group (18 students) or the control group (18 students).

Students in the intervention group will participate in the Psychological Resilience Workshop, which takes place once a week for six weeks and lasts about 60-90 minutes per session. The workshop combines a cognitive-behavioral approach with creative emotional expression activities. During the sessions, students will work on understanding themselves, recognizing difficult emotions, identifying their sources of support, and strengthening their psychological resilience. Activities include drawing, storytelling, creative exercises, and group games.

Students in the control group will not receive an intervention but will be provided with information about psychological support services they can access if needed.

The workshop is expected to increase students' psychological resilience and psychological well-being in both the short term and the long term. The results of this study may help develop a practical, sustainable, low-cost mental health support program that can be used with university students.

Conditions

• Psychological Resilience
• Psychological Well-being

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Psychological Resilience Workshops

Psychological Resilience Workshops are designed as a comprehensive group program aimed at strengthening university students' levels of psychological resilience and well-being. Grounded in the principles of Cognitive Behavioral Theory, the program is enriched with expressive arts techniques that support emotional awareness and self-expression. Over the course of six weeks, participants engage in activities that foster self-awareness, self-esteem, social support, and flexibility skills, helping them explore and enhance their own psychological resilience. Drawing on research findings emphasizing the importance of self-esteem, well-being, and sense of belonging among university students, the Psychological Resilience Workshops are structured to directly promote these areas.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Ege University

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Emel Öztürk Turgut, PhD · Ege University

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

OTHER

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2025-02-10

Primary Completion

2025-08-30

Completion

2025-08-30

Countries

• Turkey (Türkiye)

Study Locations