Frontiers in psychology
Psychological impact and resilience among healthcare workers following the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes: systematic review and meta-analysis
By Çınaroğlu M and Yılmazer E.
Abstract
Background
Healthcare workers are uniquely vulnerable to psychological distress following large-scale disasters, through simultaneous exposure as survivors and responders. The 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes placed extraordinary demands on frontline health professionals in Türkiye. This mixed-methods systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to synthesise quantitative and qualitative evidence on post-traumatic psychological outcomes and resilience strategies among healthcare workers following the earthquakes.
Methods
Following PRISMA 2020 and Joanna Briggs Institute guidance, we conducted a mixed-methods systematic review with convergent segregated synthesis. Nine sources (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, DergiPark, TR Dizin and Google Scholar) were searched for studies published between February 2023 and September 2025, supplemented by forward and backward citation chasing. Twenty studies met inclusion criteria (fifteen quantitative, five qualitative). Random-effects meta-analysis estimated pooled probable-PTSD prevalence and pooled resilience-distress correlations, with leave-one-out, risk-of-bias, instrument and population sensitivity analyses. Qualitative findings were synthesised thematically and integrated with quantitative results.