Research Institute of Nursing Care for People and Community, University of Hyogo, 13-71 Kitaoji-cho, Akashi, Hyogo 673-8588, Japan.
Graduate School of Health Sciences, Kobe University, 7-10-2 Tomogaoka, Suma-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 654-0142, Japan.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Mar 18;17(6):2011. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17062011.
Little scientific evidence exists on ways to decrease the psychological stress experienced by disaster responders, or how to maintain and improve their mental health. In an effort to grasp the current state of research, we examined research papers, agency reports, the manuals of aid organisations, and educational materials, in both English and Japanese. Using MEDLINE, Ichushi-Web (Japanese search engine), Google Scholar, websites of the United Nations agencies, and the database of the Grants System for Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare, 71 pertinent materials were identified, 49 of which were analysed. As a result, 55 actions were extracted that could potentially protect and improve the mental health of disaster responders, leading to specific recommendations. These include (1) during the pre-activity phase, enabling responders to anticipate stressful situations at a disaster site and preparing them to monitor their stress level; (2) during the activity phase, engaging in preventive measures against on-site stress; (3) using external professional support when the level of stress is excessive; and (4) after the disaster response, getting back to routines, sharing of experiences, and long-term follow-up. Our results highlighted the need to offer psychological support to disaster responders throughout the various phases of their duties.
针对如何减轻灾害应对人员所经历的心理压力，以及如何维护和改善他们的心理健康，目前的科学研究还十分有限。为了掌握当前的研究状况，我们查阅了英文和日文的研究论文、机构报告、援助组织手册和教育材料。我们利用 MEDLINE、Ichushi-Web（日本搜索引擎）、Google Scholar、联合国机构网站以及日本厚生劳动省补助金系统数据库，共检索到 71 篇相关文献，其中 49 篇进行了分析。结果共提取了 55 项可能有助于保护和改善灾害应对人员心理健康的措施，并提出了具体建议。这些措施包括：(1) 在活动前阶段，使应对人员能够预测灾难现场的紧张情况，并准备好监测自己的压力水平；(2) 在活动期间，采取预防现场压力的措施；(3) 在压力过大时，利用外部专业支持；(4) 在灾害应对结束后，恢复日常生活、分享经验和进行长期跟踪。我们的研究结果强调了在灾害应对人员履行职责的各个阶段为他们提供心理支持的必要性。
