Hospital workers’ psychological resilience after the 2015 Middle East respiratory syndrome outbreak

• Heejung Son

  Seoul National University

• Wang Jun Lee

  Myongji Hospital

• Hyun Soo Kim

  Myongji Hospital

• Kkot Sil Lee

  Myongji Hospital

• Myoungsoon You

  Seoul National University

We assessed the psychological well-being and workplace functioning of hospital workers in South Korea after an infectious disease outbreak by focusing on the effects of risk appraisal, emotional experience, and coping ability. Participants were 280 hospital workers who experienced the 2015 Middle East respiratory syndrome outbreak. We found that high risk appraisal decreased psychological resilience, whereas coping ability increased psychological resilience. Additionally, emotional disruption was associated with low resilience and also mediated the effect of perceived risk on psychological resilience. Results varied across occupational type (health-care workers vs. non-health-care workers), which implies that different considerations are needed for resilience-building among hospital workers responding to an outbreak. In particular, lowering perceived risk was most beneficial to health-care workers, whereas strengthening coping ability and relieving the intensity of negative emotions experienced were the most effective strategies for non-health-care workers. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

1. Heejung Son, Seoul National University
   Department of Public Health Sciences, Graduate School of Public Health
2. Wang Jun Lee, Myongji Hospital
   Office of Chief Executive Officer and Chairman
3. Hyun Soo Kim, Myongji Hospital
   Department of Psychiatry
4. Kkot Sil Lee, Myongji Hospital
   Department of Infection
5. Myoungsoon You, Seoul National University

   Department of Public Health Sciences, Graduate School of Public Health and Institute of Health and Environment

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