PTSD, depression, and anxiety in victims and rescue workers of the Beirut explosion disaster

Abstract

The Beirut port explosion, that occurred on August 4th, 2020, is considered to be the most powerful non-nuclear explosion in modern history. Such man-made disasters can give rise to several psychological disorders, especially in neglected, developing countries such as Lebanon. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety are considered to be the most common mental health problems that develop post-disasters. These disorders tend to overlap and occur together in disaster settings. Despite previous literature, focusing on the mental health of victims mainly, emerging research is highlighting the psychological problems rescue workers might endure. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the prevalence of PTSD, depression, and anxiety in a sample of victims and rescue workers affected by the Beirut blast, and to compare between the prevalence of each between groups. The relationship between each of PTSD, depression, and anxiety was also studies in both groups of victims and rescue workers. Information on sociodemographic and lifestyle habits were collected through social media platforms and in-person for rescue workers. PCL-5 was used to assess for PTSD symptoms, BDI for depression, and LAS-10 for anxiety. The final sampling consisted of a total of 344 victims and rescue workers that were exposed to the explosion; 177 of which were victims, and the other 167 consisted of rescue workers. Results showed that a high prevalence of PTSD (62.1%), depression (81.4%), and anxiety (55.9%) was present in this sample of victims. Rescue workers also presented with high rates of each respectively (27.5%, 62.9%, 28.7%). Victims had a significantly higher prevalence of each (p<0.001). Correlation analysis showed a strong positive relationship between PTSD and depression (0.68; 0.68; p<0.001), PTSD and anxiety (0.78; 0.76; p<0.001), and depression and anxiety (0.71; 0.77; p<0.001) in victims and rescue workers, respectively. This study highlights the significance of psychological interventions, not only for victims of disaster, but also for rescue personnel.