The Role of Identification with Disaster Victims in Psychological Responses among Non-Exposed Rescue Workers Following an Airplane Crash

Objectives Identification, a cognitive process by which individuals think of themselves as similar to another person, may be associated with distress during traumatic events. This study examined the association of identification with psychological responses among disaster workers not directly exposed to an airline crash. Methods Participants were 421 workers (aged 18-60 [M (SD) = 36.2 (9.9)], 86.4% male, 98.3% White, 71.8% married). Surveys at 2 months (Time 1; T1) and 7 (T2) months post-disaster assessed identification (i.e., extent to which participants identified victims as similar to themselves, a friend, and/or family member), previous disaster exposure, and acute stress and anger/hostility. Linear and logistic regression analyses examined the relationship of identification to psychological responses over time. Results Approximately 15% of participants reported that they had high levels of acute stress within a week of the airplane crash when assessed 2 months later. Among those with high identification, 30.2% had high acute stress. In multivariable models, adjusting for covariates, greater identification was associated with acute stress and anger/hostility at T1, but not anger/hostility at T2. Conclusions Identification is associated with high levels of acute stress and anger/hostility in non-exposed individuals. Those with greater identification, regardless of exposure, could be at increased risk of distress and may benefit from early interventions.