A study on the stress of school teachers who worked as helpers for the victims of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake

1998 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 08451029
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: 教育・社会系心理学
• Research Institution: Osaka City University
• Principal Investigator: KURATO Yoshiya Osaka City University, Faculty of Human Life Science, Professor, 生活科学部, 教授 (70104726)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): SHINODA Miki Osaka City University, Faculty of Human Life Science, Research Associate, 生活科学部, 助手 (10285299) ; MATSUSHIMA Kyoko Osaka City University, Faculty of Human Life Science, Associate Professor, 生活科学部, 助教授 (20132201) ; IWADO Michiko Osaka City University, Faculty of Human Life Science, Professor, 生活科学部, 教授 (30047295) ; SUGIMURA Shogo Mukogawa Women's University, Department of Literature, Professor, 文学部, 教授 (40085212)
• Project Period (FY): 1996 – 1998
• Keywords: Earthquake / School teachers / Stress

Research Abstract

1. Results of factor analyses.
Factor analyses were conducted and then rotated by the varimax method according to l)sex difference, 2)between administrators and teachers, and 3)activities at the temporary shelters. The analysis for sex difference revealed that male teachers (n=53) at the first year after the earthquake loaded "Emotionally exhaustion" as the first factor, followed by "Personal accomplishment, " "Understanding/Effectiveness in helping, " and "Withdrawal, " whereas "Personal accomplishment" was loaded as the first factor at one year and a half later(n=46), followed by "Emotional exhaustion/Frustration, " "Pain/Remorse, " and"Withdrawal. " Female teachers(n=52) loaded "Personal accomplishment" as the first factor, followed by "Indifferent/Remorse, " "Withdrawal/Pain" and "Emotional exhaustion/Fatigue. " A comparison between administrators and teachers reveled that "Emotional exhaustion" was the first factor for administrators at the first year after the earthquake (n=14), f ollowed by "Personal accomplishment/Fatigue" and "Withdrawal, " whereas a year and a half later(n=4) they showed "Overwork/Remorse" as the first factor, followed by "Personal accomplishment/Fatigue, " and "Emotional exhaustion. " Teachers at the first year after the earthquake (n=78) resulted in "Personal accomplishment" as the first factor, followed by "Pain/Frustration" and "Emotional exhaustion/Withdrawal, " whereas in a year and a half later they still loaded "Personal accomplishment" as the first factor. The teachers who helped refugees at the temporary shelters for more than 3 days (n=126) resulted in "Personal accomplishment" as the first factor, followed by "Fatigue/Emotional exhaustion, " "No feeling , " and Withdrawal ." Whereas the teachers who seldom helped or didn't help (n=89) obtained "Understanding/Effectiveness in helping/Personal accomplishment" as the first factor, followed by "Withdrawal/Remorse/Frustration, " and "Emotional exhaustion. "
2. Results of the workshop on "Stress management for teachers who helped refugees at the temporary shelters. "
One hundred and twenty teachers including administrators participated the above mentioned workshop. The workshops were conducted 4 times, 4 hours each according to the hypothetical model developed by the main researcher. The tape recorded verbatim indicated that 1)The earthquake was damaging but nevertheless has given a chance to look back how they have lived and think the meaning of life. 2)Some felt that the human beings were charming in its way in helping each other in crisis, others felt the quite opposite. 3)There were differences in role between administrators and teachers, which tended to cause separation between them. 4)Both administrator and teachers became emotionally exhausted, therefore mental care should be provided for them.