THE PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT OF EARTHQUAKES ON CHILDREN: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY IN HERAT, AFGHANISTAN

Abstract

Background: Earthquakes, as devastating natural disasters, can have profound and long-term psychological consequences, particularly for children. The frequency of aftershocks following earthquakes has been shown to exacerbate these negative effects. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of depression and anxiety levels among children exposed to the October 2023 earthquakes in Herat, Afghanistan.

Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in October and November 2023, involving 420 participants (227 boys and 193 girls). Sociodemographic data were collected using a 14-item questionnaire; the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) modified for adolescents and the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) had been utilized to assess depression and anxiety levels, respectively. Data analysis was carried out using IBM SPSS Statistics version 27.

Results: A high prevalence of depression among children (82.6%) was found among study participants. Additionally, the study identified significant rates of anxiety disorders, including panic disorder (67%), generalized anxiety disorder (27.1%), separation anxiety disorder (94.4%), social phobia (9.5%), and school avoidance (15%). Based on the sociodemographic data, gender and the presence of disturbing night dreams were significantly associated with both anxiety and depression. The loss of a first-degree family member due to the earthquake emerged as the sole factor significantly associated with depression

Conclusion: The present study demonstrates a markedly high prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms among children following the October 2023 earthquakes in Herat, with separation anxiety and panic disorder emerging as the most common conditions. These findings highlight the urgent imperative to develop and implement specialized mental health interventions tailored to the needs of disaster-affected pediatric populations. Establishing culturally appropriate early intervention strategies and community-based psychosocial support programs are essential to ease long-term psychological consequences and promote resilience among affected children. Furthermore, these findings call for the integration of mental health services into disaster response frameworks across earthquake-prone regions.