The impact of serving in disaster relief among volunteers in Malaysia

Abstract

Purpose Malaysian disaster relief volunteers have a long and proud history of participating in relief missions within and outside the country. Despite of a plethora of researches into the various areas of disaster relief, there has been a little scholarly activity looking into the experiences of the medical volunteers worldwide and even less research on the experiences of the relief volunteers in Malaysia. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to identify the effect of disaster relief works on volunteers in Malaysia. Methods This is a non-experimental cross-sectional design study, which was conducted using survey questionnaire to examine the incidence of burnout, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and the quality of life (QOL) among the disaster relief volunteers. And the study also examined the socio-demographic variables of the participants. In addition, the association between the sociodemographic variable and the preferred coping strategies was also investigated through self-reporting checklist. Results The findings of this study revealed that 90.9% volunteers ( n = 312) experienced some levels of recurring stress throughout their lives, which led to burnout. Also, 96.8% ( n = 332) of the participants were categorized as having at least some symptoms of PTSD. However, self-reporting QOL measurements indicated that the participants are, in general, satisfied with their lives. Significant associations between the incidence of burnout, incidence of PTSD and QOL were identified. Both positive coping measures and behavioral or avoidant coping measures were also identified. Furthermore, a number of socio-demographic factors were also seen to interact significantly with burnout, PTSD and QOL. Conclusion This study provides some insights into the psychological challenges of disaster relief volunteers in Malaysia, and this impact can last a long time after the volunteers return to their hometowns. Several recommendations including practice development, policy and research were discussed in the study.

Better to Not Be Alone: Relationships between Hurricane Related Trauma, Spiritual Support, and Social Support

“…There is a plethora of mental and emotional adverse reactions volunteers might have related to being in a disaster-devastated environment [9,11]. Some long-term mental health outcomes of disaster exposure have been supported to be burnout [9,12] post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS; [13][14][15][16][17]), depression [18], anxiety [19,20], disordered sleep [13,19], and suicidality [21]. Health behaviors associated with the mentioned mental health outcomes are coping-motivated drinking [22] and increased drug use [23,24] to name a few.…”

“…As first responders, volunteers are exposed to numerous potentially traumatic sights such as human remains [10,17], structural disrepair [15], psychological distress or other trauma symptoms experienced by victims [25], and scarcity brought on by the disaster which leads to economic disrepair [9]. Combining the potentially traumatic sights with the high demand nature of volunteer work, it is expected that volunteers experience a range of trauma responses.…”

“…hospitals, police departments, and fire departments) are also significantly impacted by disasters, which limit these services' aid capacity [7,8]. As these services and providers are limited by disaster outcomes, representing one of the initial efforts to help rebuild and heal communities and address community disrepair are volunteers [9]. However, during their aid relief work, volunteers place themselves at risk for physical or psychological harm [10].…”

Profile of Patients Assisted at the Psychosocial Care Center (CAPS) After a Nightclub Disaster in the Region of Santa Maria, RS-Brazil

“…These situations triggered in emergencies and disasters constitute a psychosocial disorder that compromises the affected population's ability to manage or cope [4]. Health professionals, search and rescue groups, first responders, volunteers and others who participate in the assistance are exposed not only to the effects that a disaster causes, but also to an enormous emotional burden in the development of their tasks [5].…”