Citation

Atkins CD, Burnett HJ. Disaster Health 2016; 3(2): 57-65.

Affiliation

Behavioral Sciences Department, Andrews University , Berrien Springs, MI, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/21665044.2016.1199151

PMID

28229015

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between having training in key disaster behavioral health (DBH) interventions and trauma health (compassion fatigue, burnout and compassion satisfaction), resilience, the number of crisis responses participated in within the last year, and the frequency of assembling to practice crisis interventions skills. Data was collected from a convenience sample of disaster behavioral health responders (N = 139) attending a training conference in Michigan. Measures included the Professional Quality of Life Scale, the 14-item Resilience Scale, and a demographic questionnaire. Point biserial correlations revealed that having training in large and small group crisis interventions and individual and peer crisis interventions was significantly correlated with higher resilience and lower levels of burnout. Psychological First Aid was not significantly associated with any of the trauma health variables or with resilience. Compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction were not significantly associated with DBH training. Chi-square tests for independence found no significant association between key DBH training strategies and the number of crisis responses participated in within the past year and the frequency of assembling to practice crisis interventions skills. These findings suggest that completing training in both, large and small group and individual and peer crisis intervention techniques may help to increase resiliency and reduce burnout among disaster behavioral health providers.

Language: en

Keywords

burnout; compassion fatigue; crisis intervention training; crisis response; practice; resilience; trauma health