Aerobic Exercise Intervention for PTSD Symptoms and Sleep Quality After Earthquake (EX-PTSD)

March 14, 2026 updated by: Rana Ceviz, Malatya Turgut Ozal University

Effects of Aerobic Exercise on PTSD and Sleep: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This randomized controlled trial aims to examine the effects of a moderate-intensity aerobic exercise program on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and sleep quality among earthquake survivors living in temporary accommodation centers. Participants are randomly assigned to either an exercise intervention group or a control group. The intervention group participates in supervised aerobic exercise sessions twice per week for three weeks. PTSD symptoms and sleep quality are assessed before and after the intervention using validated measurement tools. The study aims to provide evidence on the effectiveness of structured aerobic exercise in improving psychological well-being and sleep quality among individuals affected by natural disasters.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Natural disasters such as earthquakes can lead to significant psychological consequences, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and sleep disturbances. Individuals who experience earthquakes and continue to live in temporary accommodation conditions may remain exposed to ongoing stressors that negatively affect their mental health and overall well-being.

Physical activity has been suggested as a potentially beneficial non-pharmacological intervention for improving psychological health and sleep quality. Aerobic exercise in particular has been shown to reduce stress, improve mood, and regulate sleep patterns. However, there is limited evidence regarding the effectiveness of structured aerobic exercise programs for earthquake survivors living in temporary settlement areas.

This randomized controlled study investigates the effects of a moderate-intensity aerobic exercise program on PTSD symptoms and sleep quality among adult earthquake survivors residing in temporary accommodation centers. Participants who meet the inclusion criteria are randomly assigned to an intervention group or a control group. The intervention group participates in supervised aerobic exercise sessions conducted twice per week for three weeks, resulting in a total of six exercise sessions. The control group continues their routine daily activities without participating in the exercise program.

Outcome measures include PTSD symptom severity and sleep quality assessed before and after the intervention using validated scales. The findings of this study are expected to contribute to the development of evidence-based psychosocial and behavioral interventions aimed at improving mental health outcomes among populations affected by natural disasters.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

82

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Turkey (Türkiye)
    • Malatya
      • Malatya, Malatya, Turkey (Türkiye), 44330
        • Malatya Turgut Özal University Training and Research Hospital

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Experienced the February 6, 2023 earthquake
  • Aged between 18 and 65 years
  • Able to read and understand Turkish
  • Provided written informed consent to participate

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Younger than 18 years or older than 65 years
  • Incomplete or invalid questionnaire responses
  • Insufficient literacy to complete the study instruments
  • History of severe psychiatric diagnosis

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Aerobic Exercise Group
Participants assigned to this group participated in a structured moderate-intensity aerobic exercise program consisting of six group sessions delivered over three weeks. Each session included warm-up, aerobic exercise activities, and cool-down exercises. The program was designed to improve posttraumatic stress symptoms and sleep quality among earthquake survivors.
Behavioral: Moderate-Intensity Aerobic Exercise Program
A structured moderate-intensity aerobic exercise program delivered in group sessions over three weeks. The program consisted of six sessions including warm-up exercises, aerobic activity, and cool-down periods. The intervention aimed to reduce posttraumatic stress symptoms and improve sleep quality among earthquake survivors living in temporary accommodation settings.
No Intervention: Control Group
Participants in the control group did not receive any structured exercise intervention during the study period and continued their usual daily routines.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms
Time Frame: Baseline and 3 weeks (post-intervention)
Posttraumatic stress symptom severity measured using the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5). Scores will be compared between baseline and post-intervention to evaluate the effect of the aerobic exercise program.
Baseline and 3 weeks (post-intervention)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Sleep Quality
Time Frame: Baseline and 3 weeks (post-intervention)
Sleep quality assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI).
Baseline and 3 weeks (post-intervention)

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Malatya Turgut Ozal University

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Rana Ceviz, RN, MSc, Malatya Turgut Ozal University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

September 1, 2025

Primary Completion (Actual)

February 15, 2026

Study Completion (Actual)

February 15, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

March 11, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 11, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

March 16, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

March 17, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 14, 2026

Last Verified

March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • OZAL-TN-RC-01

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Individual participant data will not be shared due to ethical and confidentiality considerations. The dataset contains potentially identifiable information from earthquake survivors residing in temporary accommodation settings, and sharing individual-level data could compromise participant privacy.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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