Group-Based Factors in Survivors’ Migration and Post-Disaster Recovery

The February 6, 2023 earthquakes in Türkiye displaced millions beyond the disaster zone. While social psychological research highlights the role of social identity, belonging, and support in post-disaster recovery, less is known about how these processes operate when survivors resettle in new contexts. This study examines why survivors left their communities and how social psychological processes shaped recovery after relocation. Semi-structured interviews with 16 displaced survivors across Türkiye were analysed thematically. Migration was driven by three main factors: inability to meet basic needs, the need to distance from ongoing stress, and the search for social support. Recovery was shaped by three facilitating factors—institutional support, social resources, and enhanced perceived efficacy—and three hindering factors—bureaucratic difficulties, social challenges and exclusion, and diminished perceived efficacy. Overall, solidarity, shared fate, and perceived support promoted adaptation and resilience, whereas weak community integration and systemic barriers impeded them. By centring displaced survivors’ experiences, the study contributes to disaster risk reduction literature by demonstrating how social identity processes and community-level dynamics influence post-disaster vulnerability and resilience beyond the disaster areas.