Earthquakes can cause multiple physical, psychological, and social consequences for those affected. Post-traumatic Growth (PTG) emerges when individuals attempt to rebuild and adapt their lives following a traumatic experience. This study seeks to highlight the significance of disaster psychology by reviewing and analyzing literature regarding PTG among earthquake survivors. A systematic review of qualitative studies published from January 1, 2012, to January 31, 2021, was conducted to investigate PTG in individuals who experienced earthquakes. Search terms including “Post-traumatic Growth,” “Earthquake,” and “Qualitative” were applied in the CINAHL, EMBASE, PubMed, PsycInfo, KISS, RISS, and NDSL databases. The initial search yielded 720 articles; removing duplicates left 318. Screening titles and abstracts removed 186 papers that did not meet the inclusion criteria. Upon full-text review of 132 articles, 65 were excluded due to irrelevance to the research focus. Of the remaining 67 studies, further filtering eliminated 25 quantitative papers, 19 non-original articles, 8 papers without PTG outcomes, 3 unrelated studies, 2 non-English publications, and 2 articles covering mixed topics, resulting in 8 final papers. PTG among earthquake survivors was categorized into three main domains: “Change in self-perception,” “Change in interpersonal relationships,” and “Spiritual change.” These were subdivided into eight subcategories: “Reviewing one's existence,” “Acceptance,” “Discovering strengths by working through adversity,” “Gratitude for life,” “Changes in personal relations,” “Changes in social relations,” “Accepting the existence of God,” and “A breakthrough to overcome difficulties.” These findings provide foundational evidence for understanding and supporting the psychological well-being of individuals recovering from earthquake-related trauma.
