Disasters survivorsStudy finds disaster survivors more prone to fatal mistakes
A new study concludes that survivors of traumatic natural disasters may suffer from a decline in mental capabilities causing them to make grave errors in their daily lives
A new study concludes that survivors of traumatic natural disasters may sufferfrom a decline in mental capabilities causing them to make grave errors in their daily lives.
In addition to stress and anxiety, researchers from New Zealand’s University of Canterbury, found that prior studies showed survivors of terrorist attacks were more often involved in traffic accidents or accident-related fatalities.
Exploring this phenomenon further, William Helton, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Canterbury, and James Head, a Ph.D. student in psychology, believed that the increased likelihood for accidents was a result of cognitive impairment that led to greater stress and an increase in distracting thoughts.
To test their hypothesis, Helton and Head conducted several psychological tests on survivors of the 2010 earthquake that ravaged Christchurch, New Zealand.
“We were conducting a [different] study on human performance requiring two sessions,” Helton explained tothe Human Factors and Ergonomics Society. “In the midst of the study, between the two sessions, we had a substantial local earthquake, which resulted in the rare opportunity to do a before/after study. We were quick to seize the opportunity.
The researchers were measuring participants’ mental abilities by asking them to either press a button corresponding to a number on a screen or to not respond to a preselected number on the screen.
On average, performance should increase during the second session, but following the earthquake, Helton and Head found that errors actually increased. In addition, participants who self-reported that they were feeling anxious following the earthquake had faster response times and tended to make more errors, while participants who said they were depressed had slower response times.
“Presumably people are under increased cognitive load after a major disaster,” Helton said. “Processing a disaster during tasks is perhaps similar to dual-tasking, like driving and having a cell phone conversation at the same time, and this can have consequences.”
The researchers believe that more work must be done to examine these mental changes more thoroughly, but in the meantime the initial findings suggest first responders may be at greater risk of making mistakes after a major disaster.
