title: Stress in crisis managers: evidence from self-report and psychophysiological assessments.
abstract: Directing disaster operations represents a major professional challenge. Despite its importance to health and professional performance, research on stress in crisis management remains scarce. The present study aimed to investigate self-reported stress and psychophysiological stress responses in crisis managers. For this purpose, 30 crisis managers were compared with 30 managers from other disciplines, in terms of self-reported stress, health status and psychophysiological reactivity to crisis-related and non-specific visual and acoustic aversive stimuli and cognitive challenge. Crisis managers reported lower stress levels, a more positive strain-recuperation-balance, greater social resources, reduced physical symptoms, as well as more physical exercise and less alcohol consumption. They exhibited diminished electrodermal and heart rate responses to crisis-related and non-specific stressors. The results indicate reduced stress and physical complaints, diminished psychophysiological stress reactivity, and a healthier life-style in crisis managers. Improved stress resistance may limit vulnerability to stress-related performance decline and facilitate preparedness for major incidents.
authors.affiliation: UMIT - University for Health Sciences Medical Informatics and Technology, Eduard Wallnöfer-Zentrum 1, 6060, Hall in Tirol, Austria. amelie.janka@umit.at.
authors.forename: A
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6332-1387
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Janka
authors.affiliation: Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Adler
authors.affiliation: UMIT - University for Health Sciences Medical Informatics and Technology, Eduard Wallnöfer-Zentrum 1, 6060, Hall in Tirol, Austria.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.affiliation: University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Perakakis
authors.affiliation: University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Guerra
authors.affiliation: UMIT - University for Health Sciences Medical Informatics and Technology, Eduard Wallnöfer-Zentrum 1, 6060, Hall in Tirol, Austria.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Duschek
mesh_terms: D000288:Administrative Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004190:Disasters; D005260:Female; D005712:Galvanic Skin Response / Q000502:physiology; D006304:Health Status; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011603:Psychophysiology; D057566:Self Report; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*
keywords: Crisis management; Electrodermal activity; Heart rate variability; Major incident; Stress