The relationship between coping with earthquake stress, social media addiction, and sleep quality among youth after the Maraş earthquake: a structural equation modeling

Abstract

This study employed structural equation modeling to investigate the relationship between youths coping with earthquake stress, social media addiction, and sleep quality. The research included 474 undergraduate students from state universities in Turkey, with data collected via a structured questionnaire administered through Google Forms. The study adhered to the STROBE checklist for cross-sectional studies. The model fit indices were CMIN/DF (134.826/55) = 2.451, GFI = 0.958, CFI = 0.795, and RMSEA = 0.055, indicating that the model’s fit indices were close to acceptable values and adequately explained the variables. A significant relationship was found between social media addiction and sleep quality among youth, but sleep quality did not mediate the relationship between social media addiction and coping strategies for earthquake stress. Based on these results, it is recommended that youth be educated on the effective use of social media tools during crises such as disasters, and earthquake stress management should be incorporated into the education curriculum through disaster-related courses.