TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2018//
TI  - Psychological resilience and post-traumatic growth in disaster-exposed organisations: overview of the literature
JO  - Journal of the Royal Army Medical Corps
A1  - Brooks, Samantha
A1  - Amlôt, R.
A1  - Rubin, G. J.
A1  - Greenberg, N.
SP  - ePub
EP  - ePub
VL  - ePub
IS  - ePub
N2  - As disasters become increasingly prevalent, and reported on, a wealth of literature on post-disaster mental health has been published. Most published evidence focuses on symptoms of mental health problems (such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety) and psychosocial factors increasing the risk of such symptoms. However, a recent shift in the literature has moved to exploring resilience and the absence of adverse lasting mental health effects following a disaster. This paper undertakes a qualitative review of the literature to explore factors affecting psychological resilience, as well as the potential positive impact of experiencing a disaster (post-traumatic growth) by examining the literature on employees in disaster-exposed organisations. We identify several protective factors: training, experience, and perceived (personal) competence; social support; and effective coping strategies. Post-traumatic growth frequently appeared to occur at both personal and professional levels for those rescue staff after a disaster, giving employees a greater appreciation of life and their relationships, enhancing their self-esteem and providing a sense of accomplishment and better understanding of their work. Implications, in terms of how to build a resilient workforce, are discussed.<br><br>© Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0035-8665
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/jramc-2017-000876
ID  - ref1
ER  -