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Psychological Impact of Disaster Relief Operations: A Study Following Consecutive Earthquakes in Turkey

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 September 2024

Ali Iseri Open the ORCID record for Ali Iseri [Opens in a new window]  and
Recep Baltaci
Ali Iseri*
Affiliation:
Department of Industrial Engineering, Mudanya University, Bursa, Turkey
Recep Baltaci
Affiliation:
Department of Civil Defense and Firefighting, Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University, Antalya, Turkey
*
Corresponding author: Ali Iseri; Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

Objective

This cross-sectional study investigates the immediate psychological effects of disaster relief operations on team members following 2 consecutive major earthquakes in Turkey.

Methods

A total of 170 participants, including professional firefighters, search and rescue (SAR) workers, and volunteers, were surveyed approximately 1 month after the conclusion of active SAR operations. The study utilizes the DSM-V criteria and the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL-5) to assess symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among participants.

Results

The findings reveal a point prevalence of 35.3% for probable PTSD, highlighting the substantial psychological impact on disaster relief teams. Factors such as age, residency in affected areas, and active SAR involvement significantly influenced probable PTSD rates. Interestingly, actively engaged SAR members had lower probable PTSD rates, possibly due to their training. Those who directly witnessed the earthquakes had higher scores, highlighting the impact of firsthand exposure. Additionally, individuals aged 50 and above displayed a higher mean total severity score compared to younger participants.

Conclusions

This research contributes to understanding the mental well-being of disaster relief professionals. The study’s findings underscore the importance of timely mental health support and training for these responders, emphasizing the need for preparedness in disaster relief teams.

Keywords

PTSDdisaster relief teamsprevalenceearthquakes
Type
Original Research
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 18 , 2024 , e128
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc

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