The Positive and Negative Effects of Disaster Work: A Preliminary Investigation

Abstract

Research into the psychological effects of occupational exposure to disasters has tended to focus on the negative consequences for disaster workers, but recent trends in traumatic stress research have indicated the potential for positive changes and posttraumatic growth. This study examined occupational death exposure, death attitudes, subjective appraisals, intrusions, avoidance, and social support and their associations with positive and negative psychological changes in disaster workers, both cross sectionally and at a 6-month follow-up. Correlation analyses cross sectionally revealed that posttraumatic growth was significantly associated with subjective appraisal and intrusions. Negative changes were significantly associated with subjective appraisal, avoidance, fear of death, and death avoidance attitudes. Posttraumatic growth, positive changes, and negative changes evidenced substantial stability over the 6-month follow-up. Discussion focuses on how these findings extend the literature dealing with occupational death exposure, together with a consideration of limitations of the study that inform directions for future research.