Bakirci Erhan, Sar Vedat, Cetin Ali
Department of Civil Defense and Firefighting, Vocational School of Technical Science, Cerrahpasa University-Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey.
Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Koc University, Istanbul, Turkey.
J Behav Health Serv Res. 2024 Oct;51(4):529-544. doi: 10.1007/s11414-024-09896-1. Epub 2024 Jul 15.
In February 2023, two catastrophic earthquakes in Turkey resulted in over 50,000 fatalities and over 300,000 injuries. This study investigated the psychological effects on firefighters who engage in rescue operations following these earthquakes, focusing on trauma-related symptoms, depression, anxiety, stress, and resilience. The research employed validated psychometric instruments, including the Post-earthquake Trauma Level Determination Scale (PETLDS); Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21); PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5); and Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), to assess the psychological states of firefighters. The primary goal of this study was to evaluate the psychological impact of earthquakes on firefighters. Specific objectives include quantifying trauma levels; identifying the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, and stress among firefighters; and investigating the role of psychological resilience in mitigating the effects of disaster-related psychological trauma. This study is also aimed at providing empirical evidence to inform the development of psychological support and intervention strategies for firefighters in the aftermath of these earthquakes. In this study of 223 primarily male firefighters, significant psychological impacts from earthquake trauma were observed. The PETLDS scores indicated high trauma levels in 28 participants and modest levels in 195. Subscales revealed affective responses and cognitive structure were most affected. DASS-21 scores showed higher depression, anxiety, and stress in the high trauma group. PCL-5 and BRS analyses confirmed higher PTSD symptoms and lower resilience in high-trauma individuals. Correlation analysis highlighted strong associations between trauma, psychological distress, and decreased resilience. These findings highlight the necessity for targeted mental health interventions and support mechanisms for firefighters, contribute to the establishment of training programs to enhance psychological resilience among firefighters, and add valuable insights to the field of disaster psychology.
2023年2月，土耳其发生的两次灾难性地震导致5万多人死亡，30多万人受伤。本研究调查了在这些地震后参与救援行动的消防员所受到的心理影响，重点关注创伤相关症状、抑郁、焦虑、压力和恢复力。该研究采用了经过验证的心理测量工具，包括地震后创伤水平测定量表（PETLDS）、抑郁焦虑压力量表-21（DASS-21）、DSM-5创伤后应激障碍检查表（PCL-5）和简易恢复力量表（BRS），以评估消防员的心理状态。本研究的主要目标是评估地震对消防员的心理影响。具体目标包括量化创伤水平；确定消防员中创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）、抑郁、焦虑和压力的患病率；以及调查心理恢复力在减轻与灾难相关的心理创伤影响方面的作用。本研究还旨在提供实证依据，为地震后消防员心理支持和干预策略的制定提供参考。在这项对223名主要为男性消防员的研究中，观察到地震创伤产生了显著的心理影响。PETLDS分数显示，28名参与者创伤水平高，195名参与者创伤水平中等。子量表显示情感反应和认知结构受影响最大。DASS-21分数显示，高创伤组的抑郁、焦虑和压力更高。PCL-5和BRS分析证实，高创伤个体的PTSD症状更严重，恢复力更低。相关性分析突出了创伤、心理困扰和恢复力下降之间的强烈关联。这些发现凸显了为消防员提供有针对性的心理健康干预和支持机制的必要性，有助于建立培训项目以增强消防员的心理恢复力，并为灾难心理学领域增添了有价值的见解。
