Risk management in disaster workers: An evaluation in terms of psychological resilience, stress coping, and personality

Background: Disaster response personnel are routinely exposed to extreme psychological and operational stressors that challenge their emotional stability, decision-making, and performance under pressure. Effective psychosocial risk management is therefore vital to sustaining their safety and efficiency. Previous research highlights the roles of psychological resilience, coping strategies, and personality traits as key determinants of individual adaptation in high-stress environments. Objective: This study investigated how resilience, coping styles, and personality characteristics influence psychosocial risk management effectiveness among disaster workers. Methods: A total of 295 professionals and volunteers from national and regional disaster response organizations participated in the study. Participants completed the Institutional Psychosocial Risk Management Scale (IPSRMS), the Resilience Scale for Adults (RSA), the Coping Styles Scale (CSS), and the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire–Revised Short Form (EPQ-RS). Data were analyzed using correlational and multiple regression techniques to identify predictive relationships. Results: Higher IPSRMS scores were positively associated with extraversion and the lie scale, and negatively associated with neuroticism. Active coping strategies—particularly self-confidence, optimism, and seeking social support—were linked to more effective psychosocial risk management, while passive strategies such as helplessness and submissiveness were inversely related. All dimensions of resilience, including personal competence, structured style, and social competence, were significantly correlated with effective psychosocial risk management. Conclusions: The findings underscore the critical role of resilience, adaptive coping, and positive personality traits in managing psychosocial risks within disaster settings. Integrating resilience-building and coping skills training into disaster preparedness programs could enhance workforce well-being and organizational effectiveness.