A Single-Session Flash Technique Group Intervention to Reduce Secondary Traumatic Stress Among Mental Health Workers in Earthquake-Affected Areas

Background: Following natural disasters that cause mass trauma, health professionals and aid workers working in the disaster area may experience increased secondary traumatic stress and burnout due to being exposed to the traumatic experiences of others, which may lead to a decrease in both their mental health and professional functions. In this study, the effectiveness of a single-session Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Flash Technique group intervention implemented to reduce the traumatic stress levels of professionals working in the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquake zone was evaluated. Methods: The study was conducted with a total of 13 trauma workers (X̄age=27.8±2.1) working in container cities in Malatya and Adıyaman. A 90-minute Flash group protocol was applied. Before and after the intervention, participants’ distress intensity regarding traumatic scenes was measured using Subjective Units of Distress (SUD) scores. Results: The mean and standard deviations of the SUD scores given by the participants to each of the three traumatic events they selected at the beginning of the session Incident-1=8.7±1.1, Incident-2=7.5±1.2, Incident-3=6.2±1.3 decreased significantly at the end of the session (0.38±0.50, 0.15±0.37, 0.07±0.27, respectively). All participants stated verbal expressions of positive changes such as a sense of relief, emotional distancing and relaxation at the end of the session. Conclusion: This study shows that the EMDR Flash Technique can be an effective method in reducing secondary traumatization symptoms in professionals working in earthquake zones. Being able to apply it quickly and in groups increases the usability of this technique in post-disaster psychological support processes. This article’s short podcast by AI (English) This article’s short podcast by AI (Turkish)