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Related Experiment Videos

Posttraumatic stress disorder and identification in disaster workers.

R J Ursano1, C S Fullerton, K Vance

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA.

The American Journal of Psychiatry
|March 18, 1999
PubMed
Summary

Disaster workers identifying with deceased individuals, especially as friends, face higher risks of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and related symptoms. This identification is a significant factor in posttraumatic stress for those exposed to the dead.

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Trauma Studies
  • Occupational Health

Background:

  • Disaster workers handling deceased victims are at elevated risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
  • Identification with the deceased is a proposed mechanism linking stress and illness in this population.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between different types of identification with the deceased and PTSD symptoms in disaster workers.
  • Examined identification with the deceased as oneself, a friend, and a family member.

Main Methods:

  • Fifty-four disaster workers from the USS Iowa explosion were assessed at 1, 4, and 13 months post-disaster.
  • Evaluated PTSD symptoms (DSMPTSD-IV), intrusive/avoidant symptoms (IES), somatization/distress (SCL-90-R), and healthcare utilization.

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Main Results:

  • Identification with the deceased as a friend correlated with higher PTSD, intrusive/avoidant symptoms, and somatization.
  • Identification with the deceased as a family member was linked to greater intrusive symptoms at 1 month.
  • No significant association found between identification as self and PTSD or other symptoms.

Conclusions:

  • Identification with deceased individuals is a confirmed risk factor for PTSD and posttraumatic symptoms in disaster workers.
  • Specifically, identifying with the deceased as a friend poses a heightened risk for these adverse outcomes.