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BMC Psychiatry
Published in: BMC Psychiatry 1/2016

Open Access 01-12-2016 | Research article

The effects of living environment on disaster workers: a one–year longitudinal study

Authors: Masanori Nagamine, Nahoko Harada, Jun Shigemura, Kosuke Dobashi, Makiko Yoshiga, Naoki Esaki, Miyuki Tanaka, Masaaki Tanichi, Aihide Yoshino, Kunio Shimizu

Published in: BMC Psychiatry | Issue 1/2016

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Abstract

Background

Defense Force workers engaged in disaster relief activities might suffer from strong psychological stress due to the tasks that they had been involved. We evaluated how living environments, work environments, and individual factors psychologically affect those who engaged in disaster relief activities.

Method

Data generated with 1506 personnel engaged in the Great East Japan Earthquake relief activity were analyzed. Those who scored ≥25 points on the Impact of Events Scale-Revised and the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) were allocated into the high post-traumatic stress response (high-PTSR) group, and the high general psychological distress (high-GPD) group, respectively.

Results

The multiple logistic regression analysis extracted living environment (camping within the shelter sites) as the significant risk factor for both high-PTSR (OR = 3.39, 95 % CI 2.04–5.64, p < 0.001) and high-GPD (OR = 3.35, 95 % CI 1.77–6.34, p < 0.001) groups.

Conclusion

It is desirable for disaster workers to have a living environment in which they can keep an appropriate distance from the victims.
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Metadata
Title
The effects of living environment on disaster workers: a one–year longitudinal study
Authors
Masanori Nagamine
Nahoko Harada
Jun Shigemura
Kosuke Dobashi
Makiko Yoshiga
Naoki Esaki
Miyuki Tanaka
Masaaki Tanichi
Aihide Yoshino
Kunio Shimizu
Publication date
01-12-2016
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Psychiatry / Issue 1/2016
Electronic ISSN: 1471-244X
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-016-1058-4

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