Reactions of police officers to body-handling after a major disaster. A before-and-after comparison.
This study reports the results of an unusual opportunity to follow up a group of police officers who were involved in body-handling duties following the Piper Alpha disaster, and for whom there were available data from pre-disaster assessments. In addition, after these duties, the officers were compared with a matched control group of officers who had not been involved in such work. The comparisons failed to demonstrate high levels of post-traumatic distress or psychiatric morbidity. The results are interpreted in terms of issues such as the officers' own coping strategies, and major organisational and managerial factors.
Alexander
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DA
Medical School, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Scotland.
Wells
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A
D000041:Absenteeism; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D001293:Attitude to Death; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D004190:Disasters; D005107:Explosions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D010555:Personality Inventory; D012926:Social Control, Formal; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology