Investigating Posttraumatic Stress, Posttraumatic Growth and Hopelessness Levels of University Students Exposed to the Van Earthquake

The purpose of this research is investigating Post Traumatic Stress (PTS), Post Traumatic Growth (PTG) and hopelessness levels of university students exposed to the Van earthquake of 2011 in terms of different variables. The study group consists of 1059 students from Yüzüncü Y？l University exposed to the Van Earthquake of 2011. In the research PostEarthquake Trauma Level Determining Scale, Post Traumatic Growth Scale, Beck Hopelessness Scale and Demographic Information Form were used for data collection. In the data analysis descriptive statistics, spearman’s rho correlation analysis, Chaid analiysis (Chi squared automatic interaction detection), Two step cluster analysis were used. After the analyses it was found that there is a significant positive correlation between post traumatic growth level and post traumatic stress level, significant negative correlations between post traumatic growth level and hopelessness level, a significant positive correlation between post traumatic stress level and hopelessness level. According to results of the Chaid analysis hopelessness level, post traumatic stress level and gender were found as having most predictive value for post traumatic growth level; hopelessness level, post traumatic growth level and gender having most predictive value for post traumatic stress level and post traumatic stress level, post traumatic growth level and gender having most predictive value for level of hopelessness. It is thought that it is important to take these findings into consideration in intervention to traumatic life events and in determining mental health policies