Psychosocial Impact and Anxiety Determinants in Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury Following the April 2025 Istanbul Earthquake: Perceptions of Safety and Early Post-Disaster Experience

Study design : A cross sectional study. Objective : This study aimed to assess the earthquake experiences, perceived safety, and psychological impact—specifically anxiety and post-traumatic stress levels—among individuals with SCI following the 6.2-magnitude Istanbul earthquake on April 23, 2025. Setting : A tertiary referral hospital in Istanbul, Turkey, where hospitalized and community-dwelling individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) were evaluated on the fifth day following the April 2025 earthquake. Methods : A total of 64 participants, including hospitalized SCI patients (n = 19), community-dwelling SCI patients (n = 22), and healthy controls (n = 23), were evaluated within five days of the disaster. Demographic data, housing characteristics, and disaster experiences were recorded. Psychological assessment included the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), and a 10-item perceived safety scale. Results : SCI participants had significantly higher BAI scores compared to healthy individuals (p < 0.05). Hospitalized SCI patients reported lower anxiety levels than their community-dwelling counterparts. No significant differences were found regarding mobility level, location (European vs. Asian side), building age, or number of floors. A strong correlation was observed between anxiety and post-traumatic stress symptoms (r = 0.770, p < 0.001). Conclusion : SCI individuals are more psychologically affected by earthquakes than healthy peers, regardless of functional independence or physical environment. Hospitalization during disaster may offer protective psychological benefits. These findings highlight the importance of integrating psychosocial support and tailored disaster preparedness strategies for individuals with SCI.