The role of uncertainty in earthquake fear and well-being among seafarers.

Everyone was measured at a single point in time, so the study cannot show that earthquake fear or intolerance of uncertainty causes poorer mental well-being, or in which direction anything moves. All three measures were self-report, so the answers reflect how the seafarers saw their own situation. The 357 participants were Turkish seafarers recruited through social media and shipping company contacts, and the authors themselves say it is debatable whether the results apply to other groups, or even to other seafarers. The study collected nothing about how much news or social media the seafarers saw about earthquakes, which the authors list as a limitation on how the fear scores can be read. The link between earthquake fear and mental well-being was small in size (r = –0.164).

The authors state that they received no financial support for the research, authorship or publication of the article, and declared no conflicts of interest.

Do not read this as proof that earthquake fear or a low tolerance for uncertainty causes poor mental health in seafarers. Every participant was measured once, at a single time point, so the study cannot show which came first or that changing one of these would change the others.