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The Kings Cross fire: psychological reactions

S W Turner1, J Thompson, R M Rosser

  • 1Camden & Islington Community Health Services NHS Trust, United Kingdom.

Journal of Traumatic Stress
|July 1, 1995
PubMed
Summary

Psychological distress was common in King's Cross fire survivors. Trauma exposure and personality traits like neuroticism influenced reactions, while spontaneous debriefing offered benefits.

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Trauma Studies
  • Disaster Mental Health

Background:

  • The King's Cross fire, a major transportation disaster in 1987, impacted numerous individuals.
  • Understanding the long-term psychological effects of such events is crucial for public health.
  • Previous research on transportation disaster survivors' mental health requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe the psychological reactions of King's Cross fire survivors.
  • To investigate the relationship between trauma exposure, personality, and psychological distress.
  • To examine the impact of spontaneous debriefing on survivor well-being.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized the Impact of Event scale, General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, and a King's Cross Event Schedule.
  • Assessed 50 survivors of the 1987 King's Cross underground fire.
  • Analyzed data concerning validity measures, exposure-personality relationships, and spontaneous debriefing.

Main Results:

  • Two-thirds of survivors met the "caseness" criterion for significant psychological distress on the GHQ.
  • Higher levels of trauma exposure and specific personality traits (neuroticism, L-scale) correlated with adverse psychological reactions.
  • Spontaneous debriefing was associated with perceived subjective benefits for survivors.

Conclusions:

  • Transportation disasters pose unique challenges for psychological research and mental health service delivery.
  • Survivor psychological reactions are influenced by both the trauma's severity and individual personality factors.
  • Interventions like spontaneous debriefing may play a beneficial role in disaster recovery.

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