Related Experiment Videos
The medical student experience with disasters and disaster response
Craig L Katz1, Natalie Gluck, Andrea Maurizio
1Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA. katz@disasterpsych.org
CNS Spectrums
|April 20, 2004
Summary
Medical students involved in the September 11th World Trade Center disaster response experienced varied emotional impacts. Involvement itself did not cause psychiatric symptoms but may have boosted professional self-esteem.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Disaster Mental Health
- Medical Education
Background:
- Medical students in New York City participated in the health professional response to the September 11, 2001, World Trade Center attacks.
- Understanding the emotional impact on these students is crucial for disaster mental health planning.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the emotional impact of disaster response involvement on medical students.
- To identify factors influencing psychiatric symptomatology and professional self-esteem.
Main Methods:
- A mail survey was administered to 157 medical students from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine.
- The survey assessed personal/professional involvement, psychiatric symptoms (short-term and 3.5 months post-event).
Main Results:
- Female students and those in less supervised, more intense roles reported differential emotional impacts.
- Disaster relief involvement did not directly cause psychiatric symptoms.
- Involvement was associated with enhanced professional self-esteem.
Conclusions:
- Specific factors, not general involvement, influenced emotional outcomes for medical students post-disaster.
- Findings inform strategies for psychiatric support in future disaster response efforts.