Mediating Role of Social Support in the relationship of Distress Tolerance and Emotional Self-Regulation with Depression in the Survivors of Kermanshah Earthquake

Depression is a serious mental health condition experienced by bereaved earthquake survivors. It seems that distress tolerance, emotional self-regulation, and social support can be good predictors of depression. The present study aimed to determine the mediating role of social support in the relationship of distress tolerance and emotional self-regulation with depression.

This descriptive study was conducted based on structural equation modeling. The statistical population of this study included the survivors of the Kermanshah earthquake who were suffering from depression in Kermanshah, Iran, in 2019. The sample size was calculated at 384 subjects who were selected via the convenience sampling method. Data were collected using social support questionnaires, a distress tolerance questionnaire, Gross and John's Emotional Self-Regulation Questionnaire, and Beck depression inventory. Data were analyzed in two descriptive statistics sections using SPSS software (version 23) and inferential statistics using structural equation modeling in SMART PLS2 software.

The results of this study pointed out that the relationship between research variables is significant and distress tolerance, self-regulation, and social support can predict depression. Moreover, social support plays a mediating role in the relationship of distress tolerance and emotional self-regulation with depression. The quality of the measurement model was confirmed by the cv.com test, and the structural model was verified by the cv.red test. The effect factor of R2 variables is strong and according to the goodness of fit, the quality of the final model of the research was 0.586, indicating a strong fit of the model.

As evidenced by the obtained results, it can be expected that post-earthquake depression can be reduced by the enhancement of distress tolerance, emotional self-regulation, and social support.