Emotional Burnout In The Wake Of Philippine Flood

WHO Warns Of Emotional Burnout In The Wake Of Philippine Flood

MANILA, 13 November 2009— The World Health Organization (WHO) today expressed concern for the psychological well-being of more than a million people still living in flood waters weeks after three typhoons swept through the Philippines.

Three direct hits from storms in a little more than a month left whole communities under water and swept away others in landslides. More than a million residents still live in flood waters, with little prospect of the water draining away before the end of the year. Nearly 102 000 other people remain in evacuation centres, often in dire conditions.

Tens of thousands of people are at risk from leptospirosis, a bacterial disease caused by contact with water contaminated with urine from rats and other mammals. Other health threats include cholera, dengue fever, malaria, diarrhoea, skin rashes and respiratory illnesses.

"Many of these people will be anxious and distressed after the experience they have gone through," said Dr Shin Young-soo, WHO's Regional Director for the Western Pacific. "That is a perfectly normal reaction, but the danger is that they might become frustrated and angry if their physical and mental needs are not taken care of as the days go by."

Signs of a deteriorating mental state include sleeplessness, antisocial behaviour and suicidal tendencies. "This is about the time when we might be seeing worrying reactions such as these," said Dr Shin, "so government officials and relief workers should be on the lookout for signs."

WHO also warned of psychosocial stress on relief workers, many of who have been working seven days a week since the first typhoon struck on 26 September. “Confronting danger and human misery for days on end, often without proper rest, exacts a heavy emotional toll on these people," said Dr Shin.

Media reports have described rescue workers digging for days through mud and rock to reach survivors, only to find decomposing bodies. In some areas, rescuers braved raging flood waters to bring to safety residents stranded on rooftops. Some rescuers watched their colleagues lose their lives trying to save others.

“Agencies involved in responding to the floods can support their workers by being aware of the signs of burnout and by having systems in place to respond appropriately,” Dr Shin said.

Recommended responses range from relatively simple measures such as ensuring people have adequate food, hygiene and accommodation, that they work in shifts of no more than 12 hours and that they take regular breaks.

Emergency workers can sometimes be so overwhelmed by the scale of a disaster and by the suffering they witness that their performance becomes significantly impaired. If this happens, said Dr Shin, they should be allowed to withdraw without prejudice. "A dysfunctional helper is no help to anyone," he said.

ENDS

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