The Experience of a Mental Health Team Involved in the Early Phase of a Disaster

The reactions of a volunteer mental health team which convened in the aftermath of the 1983 Ash Wednesday bushfires are reported. A questionnaire designed to explore psychological and physical responses was completed by the 19 staff who made up the team. Using both open-ended and closed questions, the questionnaire tapped such areas as motivation, goals, expectations and observations, initial and later emotional and physical reactions, fantasies and evoked memories; an evaluation of the service and the experience was also included. Analysis of responses indicated that team members experienced considerable stress during their post-disaster work but also gained a great deal at both professional and personal levels. Sources of stress are discussed as are recommendations for their alleviation.