Religiously Adapted CBT for Acute Stress Post-Kahramanmaraş Earthquake

Overview

This case series evaluated a brief, religiously integrated cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) intervention for managing Acute Stress Disorder (ASD) in survivors of the February 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquake in Türkiye. The intervention demonstrated early symptom stabilization and provided culturally sensitive psychological support to disaster-affected individuals.

Background

Earthquakes cause significant psychological distress, often leading to Acute Stress Disorder (ASD) and potentially Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) if untreated. Early intervention is critical to prevent chronic trauma-related conditions. While CBT is effective for ASD, most protocols lack cultural and religious adaptations, which are important in contexts where religion plays a central role in coping. Religiously integrated CBT (RCBT) adapts standard CBT to align with clients' spiritual beliefs, offering a promising approach for trauma recovery in religious populations.

Data Highlights

Participants: 64 earthquake survivors (93.8% female, ages 12-57, mean age 29.1) from 11 affected provinces in Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia, Türkiye. Five reported building collapse exposure. The intervention focused on early symptom stabilization through religiously adapted psychoeducation and behavioral strategies.

Key Findings

• The brief religiously adapted CBT intervention was feasible and acceptable among earthquake survivors experiencing acute stress symptoms.
• Early symptom stabilization was achieved through integration of religious meaning-making and faith-based behavioral strategies.
• Participants reported strengthened religious connection and increased value-oriented behaviors following the intervention.
• The intervention addressed the urgent psychological needs of disaster survivors while respecting cultural and religious identities.
• This approach filled a gap in brief, culturally and religiously tailored early trauma interventions.

Clinical Implications

Clinicians working with disaster survivors in religious contexts should consider integrating spiritual and religious elements into CBT to enhance engagement and effectiveness. Brief, culturally adapted interventions can be rapidly deployed post-disaster to stabilize acute stress symptoms and potentially reduce progression to PTSD. Incorporating patients' faith-based coping mechanisms supports holistic recovery.

Conclusion

This case series supports the feasibility and potential benefits of a brief, religiously integrated CBT approach for managing acute stress following major earthquakes. Such culturally sensitive interventions are valuable tools for early trauma care in religious populations.

References

1. DSM-5 (2013) -- Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition
2. Işık and Toprak (Year) -- Religious Reframing and Hope-Focused Techniques in Trauma
3. de Abreu Costa and Moreira-Almeida (Year) -- Integrating Religion into Psychotherapy
4. Brief Religiously-Adapted CBT Intervention Program (2023) -- Post-Kahramanmaraş Earthquake Implementation