This study aims to examine the effect of Creative Drama on gender role stress, attitudes toward violence against women, and aggression among men who experienced the February 6, 2023 earthquake in Türkiye (centered in Kahramanmaraş).

A total of 75 men (25 experimental, 25 placebo, and 25 control) will participate in the study. The experimental group will take part in a creative drama program, the placebo group will watch films focusing on masculinity roles and violence for 10 weeks, and no intervention will be applied to the control group.

Data will be collected using the Gender Role Stress Scale for Men, the Attitudes Toward Violence Against Women Scale, and the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire - Short Form, and will be analyzed by an independent statistician.

The study aims to enhance the psychological well-being of men affected by the earthquake in Türkiye, reduce violence against women, and contribute to gender equality.

On February 6, 2023, two major earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.7 and 7.6 struck Türkiye, affecting 11 provinces, with Kahramanmaraş, Hatay, Adıyaman, and Malatya among the most severely impacted regions. These disasters had profound psychosocial consequences, particularly for men exposed to trauma, displacement, and post-disaster stressors that may influence gender role stress, aggression, and attitudes toward violence against women.

This study is designed as a randomized controlled experimental trial to examine the effectiveness of a Creative Drama-based psychosocial intervention among men who experienced the February 6 earthquake and currently reside in Malatya. The research will be conducted between November 2025 and December 2026.

The intervention is structured around Creative Drama, an experiential and participatory method that combines role-playing, improvisation, group interaction, and reflective discussion. The Creative Drama program will consist of 10 weekly group sessions, each designed to encourage emotional expression, critical reflection on masculinity norms, awareness of gender roles, and non-violent coping strategies. Sessions will be conducted in small groups and facilitated by a trained researcher with experience in creative drama practices.

To control for attention and group interaction effects, a placebo group will be included. Participants in this group will attend weekly sessions during which they will watch selected Turkish films addressing themes related to masculinity, gender roles, aggression, and violence against women. These sessions will not include structured discussion or therapeutic guidance. A control group will receive no intervention during the study period.

Participants will be randomly assigned to one of the three groups (experimental, placebo, or control) using a simple randomization procedure to ensure equal group sizes. Due to the nature of the intervention, blinding of participants and the researcher will not be possible. However, outcome data will be coded and analyzed by an independent statistician who will be blinded to group allocation.

Data will be collected at baseline and after completion of the intervention using standardized and validated self-report instruments. The findings of this study are expected to contribute to the development of psychosocial interventions aimed at reducing gender role stress and aggressive behaviors, promoting gender equality, and preventing violence against women in post-disaster contexts.

Inclusion Criteria:

Male individuals who experienced the 2023 Türkiye earthquake (centered in Kahramanmaraş) and currently live in Malatya.

Married during the earthquake and currently married.

Volunteer to participate in the study.

Aged between 18 and 65 years.

No hearing or visual impairments.

No intellectual disability.

At least primary school graduate.

No diagnosed psychiatric disorder.

Have not received creative drama training.

Have not received psychosocial support after the earthquake.

Have not participated in previous studies involving creative drama related to gender role stress, attitudes toward violence against women, or aggression.

Agree to attend weekly sessions and comply with the study program.

Exclusion Criteria:

Voluntary withdrawal from the study.

Failure to attend sessions regularly.

Changing residence to another city during the study period.

Divorce during the study period.

Beginning to receive psychosocial support during the study period.

Only self-identified men who are biologically male, were present in Malatya during the 2023 Türkiye earthquake, and continue to live there are eligible to participate.

The individual participant data (IPD) will not be shared due to ethical considerations and the sensitivity of personal information collected from earthquake survivors. Only aggregated results will be published in scientific journals.

Participants in both the experimental and placebo groups will not be informed about which intervention they are receiving. They will be told that they are participating in different program formats as part of the same research study. The control group will receive no intervention. The data analyst/statistician, who is independent of the research team, will be blinded to group assignments. All groups (experimental, placebo, and control) will be coded as X, Y, and Z during data entry and analysis. Therefore, this study will be conducted as a double-blind design, with masking applied to the participants and the outcomes assessor.