TY - JOUR T1 - Psychological resilience and post-traumatic growth in disaster-exposed organisations: overview of the literature JF - BMJ Military Health JO - BMJ Mil Health SP - 52 LP - 56 DO - 10.1136/jramc-2017-000876 VL - 166 IS - 1 AU - Samantha Brooks AU - R AmlĂ´t AU - G J Rubin AU - N Greenberg Y1 - 2020/02/01 UR - http://militaryhealth.bmj.com/content/166/1/52.abstract N2 - As disasters become increasingly prevalent, and reported on, a wealth of literature on post-disaster mental health has been published. Most published evidence focuses on symptoms of mental health problems (such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety) and psychosocial factors increasing the risk of such symptoms. However, a recent shift in the literature has moved to exploring resilience and the absence of adverse lasting mental health effects following a disaster. This paper undertakes a qualitative review of the literature to explore factors affecting psychological resilience, as well as the potential positive impact of experiencing a disaster (post-traumatic growth) by examining the literature on employees in disaster-exposed organisations. We identify several protective factors: training, experience, and perceived (personal) competence; social support; and effective coping strategies. Post-traumatic growth frequently appeared to occur at both personal and professional levels for those rescue staff after a disaster, giving employees a greater appreciation of life and their relationships, enhancing their self-esteem and providing a sense of accomplishment and better understanding of their work. Implications, in terms of how to build a resilient workforce, are discussed. ER -