Long-term effects of disaster exposure on health care workers’ resilience : a comparison of the Wenchuan earthquake-exposed and unexposed groups

Abstract

Background: Resilience is an important trait of health care workers (HCWs), especially those who are exposed to disasters and disaster rescue efforts. However, few studies have examined the long-term impact of disaster exposure on HCWs’ resilience. Objectives: This study aimed to compare the resilience of HCWs exposed to the Wenchuan earthquake to those who were not exposed 11 years after the earthquake. Additionally, it aimed to examine the effect of HCWs’ workplaces, individual sociodemographic factors and post-trauma growth on their resilience. Methods: A cross-sectional self-administrated survey was used. The Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC25) was used to measure resilience. Sociodemographic factors were evaluated using descriptive statistical analyses and the relationship between resilience and exposure to the Wenchuan earthquake was assessed using multilevel regression analysis. Results: Both exposed and unexposed HCWs reported low levels of resilience. Disaster exposure was not significantly associated with their resilience 11 years post-earthquake. Participants who worked in larger hospitals reported a higher level of resilience. Females and those with higher educational levels, longer service length or higher post-trauma growth scores had significantly increased resilience across different regression models. Conclusions: The findings suggest the need for resilience interventions for all HCWs in disaster-prone areas, especially in the case of junior HCWs with lower educational levels working in small hospitals. Further research is warranted to identify optimal strategies to build and advance HCWs’ resilience and sustain their mental health when responding to disasters.