title: The effects of living environment on disaster workers: a one-year longitudinal study.
abstract: Defense Force workers engaged in disaster relief activities might suffer from strong psychological stress due to the tasks that they had been involved. We evaluated how living environments, work environments, and individual factors psychologically affect those who engaged in disaster relief activities.
  
  
  
  Data generated with 1506 personnel engaged in the Great East Japan Earthquake relief activity were analyzed. Those who scored ≥25 points on the Impact of Events Scale-Revised and the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) were allocated into the high post-traumatic stress response (high-PTSR) group, and the high general psychological distress (high-GPD) group, respectively.
  
  
  
  The multiple logistic regression analysis extracted living environment (camping within the shelter sites) as the significant risk factor for both high-PTSR (OR = 3.39, 95 % CI 2.04-5.64, p < 0.001) and high-GPD (OR = 3.35, 95 % CI 1.77-6.34, p < 0.001) groups.
  
  
  
  It is desirable for disaster workers to have a living environment in which they can keep an appropriate distance from the victims.
authors: Division of Behavioral Science, National Defense Medical College Research Institute, Saitama, Japan. nagaminemasanori@gmail.com.
authors: Masanori
authors: 0000-0001-8882-4933
authors: M
authors: Nagamine
authors: Department of Nursing Science of Community Health Care System, Tohoku University School of Health Sciences, Miyagi, Japan.
authors: Nahoko
authors: N
authors: Harada
authors: Department of Psychiatry, National Defense Medical College, Saitama, Japan.
authors: Jun
authors: J
authors: Shigemura
authors: Camp Kokura, Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors: Kosuke
authors: K
authors: Dobashi
authors: Camp Beppu, Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, Oita, Japan.
authors: Makiko
authors: M
authors: Yoshiga
authors: Camp Kurume, Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors: Naoki
authors: N
authors: Esaki
authors: Camp Omura, Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, Nagasaki, Japan.
authors: Miyuki
authors: M
authors: Tanaka
authors: Department of Psychiatry, National Defense Medical College, Saitama, Japan.
authors: Masaaki
authors: M
authors: Tanichi
authors: Department of Psychiatry, National Defense Medical College, Saitama, Japan.
authors: Aihide
authors: A
authors: Yoshino
authors: Division of Behavioral Science, National Defense Medical College Research Institute, Saitama, Japan.
authors: Kunio
authors: K
authors: Shimizu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004190:Disasters; D055866:Earthquakes; D005260:Female; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000523:psychology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology; D017132:Workplace / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Disaster workers; Great East Japan Earthquake; Living environment; Post-traumatic stress response; Psychological distress; Risk factors