Data from: Criticism by community people and poor workplace communication as risk factors for the mental health of local welfare workers after the Great East Japan Earthquake: a cross-sectional study

After a large-scale natural disaster, demand for social welfare services increases, and the mental health of local social welfare workers becomes a matter of great concern because of their dual role as support providers and disaster survivors. We examined whether work-related social stressors, including criticism by community people and poor workplace communication, were associated with increased risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, or psychological distress 20-22 months after the Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE; March 11, 2011) in local social welfare workers. Demographic characteristics, disaster-related risk factors (near-death experience, dead/missing family members, loss of housing), and work-related social risk factors (criticism, lack of communication) were obtained 20-22 months after the GEJE from 822 local workers. Questionnaires measured PTSD, depression, and psychological stress. Bivariate and multivariate regression analyses were applied. More local social welfare workers suffered from mental health problems than would be expected. Criticism by community people was significantly associated with probable PTSD and high psychological distress (adjusted odds ratio = 2.31 and 2.55, respectively). Furthermore, lack of workplace communication was associated with probable PTSD, depression, and high psychological distress (adjusted odds ratio = 3.97, 4.27, and 4.65, respectively). Almost 2 years after the disaster, local relief workers still suffered from mental health problems. Because post-disaster work-related social stressors constitute risk factors for these mental health problems, measures to improve working conditions and prevent and treat mental disorders should be a priority.

大规模自然灾害发生后，社会福利服务需求大幅攀升，当地社会福利工作者兼具服务提供者与灾害幸存者双重身份，其心理健康状况因此备受关注。本研究针对2011年3月11日东日本大地震（Great East Japan Earthquake, GEJE）后20至22个月的当地社会福利工作者展开调查，探讨工作相关社会压力源——包括社区民众批评与职场沟通不畅——是否与创伤后应激障碍（Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD）、抑郁或心理困扰风险升高存在关联。研究共纳入822名当地工作者，在东日本大地震后20至22个月收集其人口统计学特征、灾害相关风险因素（濒死体验、家属死亡/失踪、住房损毁）以及工作相关社会风险因素（遭批评、沟通匮乏）相关数据。采用问卷评估其创伤后应激障碍、抑郁与心理应激水平，并实施双变量及多变量回归分析。结果显示，存在心理健康问题的当地社会福利工作者比例高于预期。社区民众的批评与疑似创伤后应激障碍及重度心理困扰显著相关（校正后比值比分别为2.31与2.55）。此外，职场沟通匮乏与疑似创伤后应激障碍、抑郁及重度心理困扰均存在关联（校正后比值比分别为3.97、4.27与4.65）。灾害发生近2年后，当地社会福利工作者仍受心理健康问题困扰。鉴于灾后工作相关社会压力源是此类心理健康问题的风险因素，改善工作环境、预防与治疗心理障碍应成为灾后工作的优先事项。