Examination of Anxiety Levels Among First-Line Healthcare Professionals in the February 2023 Turkey Kahramanmaraş Earthquake

INTRODUCTION: Two earthquakes of 7.7 and 7.6 magnitudes on the Richter scale occurred in Kahramanmaraş on February 6, 2023, have resulted in 50,000 deaths and significant devastation. Our aim is to assess the anxiety levels of emergency healthcare professionals (HPs) providing medical services in earthquake-stricken area following the Kahramanmaraş earthquake
METHODS: This study includes survivor HPs and volunteer HPs. Only 89 out of 159 HPs completed the questionnaire, resulting in a response rate of 57.1%.
RESULTS: The mean BAI score for Survivor HPs was 29.53±13.25, and for Volunteer HPs was 7.62±11.12. The difference between scores was 21.91±2.61, and it was statistically significant (95% CI: 16.77-27.05, p=0.000).
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Our study indicates that HPs who providing first-line health services in earthquake-stricken areas exhibit high anxiety scores. The BAI scores of Survivor HPs were higher compared to Volunteer HPs. As the duration of work in the earthquake-stricken areas increased, anxiety levels rise accordingly.