Factors Contributing to Resiliency in September 11th Disaster Relief Workers: A Proposal for Future Analysis

Abstract

While the study of post-trauma resiliency or those characteristics which protect those at risk from the negative mental and physical sequele of trauma has attracted so much attention recently, the literature is limited with respect to Disaster Relief Workers (DRWs). This article represents a literature review conducted by the authors to better understand the concept of resiliency in the context of trauma research and survey the field's current empirical findings associated with DRWs. Due to the paucity of research, future analysis would shed much needed light on the precise factors that contribute to resiliency in high-risk populations (e.g., DRWs) and the ways in which these factors interact with one another.