Sustaining engagement through work in postdisaster relief and reconstruction.
After the devastating 2008 earthquake in China, grass-roots government officials were the main local force in postquake relief and reconstruction. Like other survivors, many officials were severely bereaved. Their psychological well-being was at stake. We conducted 25 semistructured interviews to investigate sources of stress at work and their coping experiences. We coded interviews using the content analysis method. Misunderstandings and assaults from survivors, prolonged heavy workload, and grief and bereavement were major sources of stress at work. Finding meaning in the work, emotion regulation, and goal and time management were main coping strategies. The challenge and importance of the work, combined with support and recognition at work, fostered an empowering work environment. Few interviewees reported fatigue, whereas the majority displayed dedication to work, indicating a status of work engagement more than burnout among grass-roots officials. Implications of a meaning-oriented empowerment approach to stress management for disaster relief forces are drawn.
Department of Social Work and Social Administration, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China. wangxl@hku.hk
Xiao Lu
XL
Wang
Zhan Biao
ZB
Shi
Siu Man
SM
Ng
Bin
B
Wang
Cecilia L W
CL
Chan
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000523:psychology; D002681:China; D055866:Earthquakes; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011209:Power, Psychological; D011594:Psychometrics; D012066:Relief Work; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D013637:Tape Recording; D013997:Time Factors; D017748:Time Management; D014937:Work / Q000523:psychology*; D016526:Workload / Q000523:psychology; D017132:Workplace / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult