(I101) Working in Disasters, Under Stress: Expectations and Motivation Sources of Relief Workers in Turkey

Abstract

Introduction:

In recent years, the number of the relief efforts has increased, especially after the Marmara and Duzce Earthquakes that occurred in Turkey in 1999. The plight of the relief workers during and after disasters has been a main point of focus in Ministry of Health (MoH) and one of the major fields in disaster management.

Methods:

A questionnaire was developed pertaining to demographic information; range of relief workers'numbers, professions, training experience, and working experience in a disaster; stress factors and symptoms; self-help strategies during the disaster work; and the motivation sources of being a relief worker. This questionnaire was distrubuted to 551 medical rescue workers that participated in the 3^rd National Medical Rescue Training and Practicing Programme held in Bursa, Turkey in 2007.

Results:

All the data were analyzed using SPSS Pocket Programme 11.5. The results showed that the ability to train and work under stress are the basic factors of being an adequate relief worker. The major stress factors are taking extreme risks and being an eyewitness to the death or injury of a relief worker.

Conclusions:

A supportive approach for relief workers should be a main component of disaster management. Identifying the expectations of relief workers is extremely important for effectively working in disaster area.