REALE: The relation between preparations, experiences and health when working in disasters

The management of major incidents or disasters require specific skills to deal with the uncertainty, complexity and dynamics that characteristics such events. The REALE project examines different perspectives on crisis management and the relationship between preparation and authentic events, as well as health effects and recovery after being deployed in such situations.

The project consists of several studies. In one, we explore the relationship between preparation and authentic events among prehospital incident managers responding to a major incident, as well as health effects and recovery strategies after such experiences. In two separate studies, we investigate decision-making in crisis organizations, and factors influencing the decision making process. Experiences from organizing and providing psychosocial support during the Covid 19 pandemic is another study within the project. Several studies investigates health effects from being deployed following the earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria in 2023, and the recovery strategies used by disaster responders. Also, studies on useful and lacked competences during the same disaster deployment are explored.  

Published studies

• Hugelius, K. , Murphy, J. & Blomberg, K. (2024). Health problems among disaster responders to the 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquake: a cross-sectional study.  BMC Emergency Medicine, 24 (1).
• Blomberg, K. , Murphy, J. & Hugelius, K. (2024). Self-care strategies used by disaster responders after the 2023 earthquake in Turkey and Syria: a mixed methods study.  BMC Emergency Medicine, 24 (1)
• Westman, A. , Kurland, L. & Hugelius, K. (2024). Valued technical and non-technical skills among disaster responders: a cross sectional study of disaster responders involved in the earthquake in Türkiye and Syria January 2023.  BMC Emergency Medicine, 24 (1).
• Blomberg, K. & Hugelius, K. (2023). Health and well-being after being deployed in a major incident; how do Swedish ambulance nurses perceive their health recover process? A qualitative study.  BMJ Open, 13 (7).
• Westman, A. , Hugelius, K. , Weinstein, E. & Kurland, L. (2022). Facilitators and barriers for effective staff work in Swedish National governmental crisis response to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, 17.
• Hugelius, K. , Rådestad, M. , Al-Dhahir, H. & Kurland, L. (2021). Decision-making by medical officer in charge during major incidents: a qualitative study.  Scandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine, 29 (1).
• Hugelius, K. , Johansson, S. & Sjölin, H. (2021). "We Thought We Were Prepared, but We Were Not": Experiences from the Management of the Psychosocial Support Response during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Sweden. A Mixed-Methods Study.  International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18 (17).