The impact of working in disaster recovery on allied health professionals

Background: Disaster recovery work, often conducted in rural areas, can place allied health professionals (AHPs) at risk of vicarious trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder, burnout, and compassion fatigue. As the frequency and intensity of disasters are predicted to increase, it is increasingly important to implement strategies that will ensure the wellbeing of AHPs working in disaster recovery programs. To assist with developing effective wellbeing strategies it is necessary to explore the impact of disaster recovery work on the AHPs involved.
Aim: To explore the impact of disaster recovery work on Royal Far West (RFW) AHPs involved in planning and delivering the Bushfire Recovery Program (BRP) to rural communities across NSW affected by the 2019/2020 bushfires.
Methods: Sixteen RFW AHPs involved in the BRP completed the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL) at the end of each of four school terms. Nine individual in-depth interviews were conducted at the Program’s completion.
Results: ProQOL findings indicated moderate burnout and compassion satisfaction and low secondary traumatic stress among AHPs. The nine AHPs interviewed were positive about the connections they had developed with rural communities, children and parents and their work colleagues. They felt the BRP provided a sense of purpose and reward. However, they were aware of the potential adverse consequences caused by the nature of the work, describing numerous physical and psychological impacts. The AHPs were aware of the lack of services in many of the rural communities where children resided, and at times this resulted in a sense of being overwhelmed and hopelessness, especially when they were discharging children and withdrawing from schools. The AHPs were positive about the wellbeing support implemented by RFW and the promotion of a culture that prioritised staff wellbeing. They also reported employing a variety of personal strategies to maintain their wellbeing and emphasised the importance of self-awareness of signs indicating their need to implement wellbeing strategies.

Conclusion: Working in disaster recovery can enable AHPs to build positive connections with rural communities, children and parents and their work colleagues. The work can be rewarding as it provides a sense of purpose and reward. However, as the challenging nature of the work can result in physical and psychological impacts, it is important that strategies are implemented to support and maintain the wellbeing of AHPs. These strategies should be proactively implemented to safeguard AHPs’ wellbeing when working in disaster recovery.