DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF PSYCHOSOCIAL WELLBEING PROGRAMME (PSWBP) FOR NATIONAL DISASTER RESPONSE FORCE (NDRF) FIRST RESPONDERS

Background

Disaster is a social product The propensity for disaster is dependent upon the interplay between humans and their use of the physical and social world Within this perspective disaster can be seen in broader ecological terms to be an expression of the vulnerability of human society Vulnerability is contingent upon social preconditions The degree of vulnerability of a social system to a natural disaster is determined by the interaction of the physical properties of a disaster agent and the cultural social and psychological factors characteristic of the population occupying the specific location There is a spatial dimension to disaster occurrence which is delineated by the intersection of the occupied world and the boundaries within which a disaster agent can exert influence

Need of the Study

Disaster first responders particularly those in the National Disaster Response Force NDRF face significant mental health challenges due to regular exposure to traumatic events like deaths injuries and human suffering These stressors often lead to issues such as PTSD anxiety depression and burnout which affect their well-being and job performance With the increasing frequency and severity of climate-related and human-made disasters the demand for these responders is growing further exacerbating their mental health struggles Unfortunately these issues are often underreported and untreated due to stigma lack of awareness and organizational neglect

Given these challenges there is a clear need for a comprehensive psychosocial well-being programme PSWBP that addresses the unique mental health needs of disaster responders Such a program would focus on reducing stress enhancing quality of life resilience improving coping strategies and providing social support ultimately improving both their mental health and job performance This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a PSWBP for NDRF responders supporting their long-term well-being and enhancing their ability to manage the psychological demands of disaster response

Scope of the Study

The developed psychosocial well-being programme along with workbooks and IEC materials can help reduce stress and improve resilience well-being and quality of life among NDRF first responders It can be integrated into the regular training curriculum and implemented across all 18 NDRF battalions in India Additionally the programme can serve as a preparedness and mitigation strategy not only for NDRF responders but also for other disaster response teams including state forces firefighters police ambulance drivers EMS and volunteers The study findings could support policy changes to enhance psychosocial support for disaster first responders

Aim

The study aims to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of a psychosocial well-being programme PSWBP for National Disaster Response Force NDRF first responders

Objectives

1 To explore the psychosocial needs and concerns of the NDRF first responders 2 To develop and evaluate a Psychosocial Well-being Programme PSWBP for the NDRF first responders 3 To assess resilience well-being quality of life coping perceived stress and social support among NDRF first responders at varied intervals pre post and follow up 4 To test the effectiveness of the psychosocial well-being programme for NDRF first responders

Methodology

Research Design

The study would adopt a quasi-experimental research design with pre-test post-test and post-post follow up Assessment of the study participants will be carried out at three varied intervals under different conditions pre assessment post interventions assessment and post post assessment follow up

Universe

The universe of this study is the National Disaster Response Force NDRF a specialized unit responsible for disaster management in India There are 18 battalions spread across different regions of the country

Population

The study population would comprise the NDRF first responders of 10th Battalion stationed in Regional Response Centre 3 RRC 3 in Yelahanka Bengaluru Karnataka There are 120 first responders currently posted in the RRC 3 who would form the population of the current study

Sampling Method

Sampling for KII and FGD

Participants for key informant interviews KII and Focus Group Discussions FGDs will be selected using convenience sampling technique This is the first stage of the study and is used for understanding psychosocial needs and concerns of the NDRF first responders based on which a psychosocial well-being programme will be designed

Sampling for Main Study and Intervention Programme

The sample size for the current study was estimated under the within between repeated measures design with three measurements and two groups using a moderate effect size 03 Considering three repeated measurements the calculated minimum total sample size was 80 at five percent level of significance and 90 percent statistical power The final sample size N equals 92 was decided as 46 per group with an expected attrition rate of 15 percent at three-month follow up assessment However considering the total battalion size of 120 it is decided to recruit the entire battalion N equals 60 personnel for the intervention group and N equals 60 personnel for the control group For sample estimation G Power version 3197 was used

Sample Procedure

Simple random allocation technique will be adopted to recruit into experimental and control groups ensuring that every individual in the population has an equal chance of being chosen

Sample Size Estimation

The estimated sample size was 80 The entire population 120 first responders would be considered for the main study

Research Process

This study will be carried out mainly in four phases 1 Need assessment of National Disaster Response Force NDRF first responders and pre-assessment 2 Development and validation of the Psychosocial Well-being Programme PSWBP 3 Implementation of PSWBP and Post Assessment 4 Follow-up Assessment

Tools for Data Collection

1 Socio Demographic Sheet SDS 2 Kessler Psychological Distress Scale K10 3 The Perceived Stress Scale PSS 4 The Brief COPE Carver 1997 5 The Connor Davidson Resilience Scale CDRISC 6 WHOQOL BREF 7 The Subjective Well-being Inventory SUBI 8 Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support MSPSS

Data Analysis

Qualitative data will be analysed through thematic analysis to identify themes to develop a psychosocial well-being programme PSWBP An audio recording of the key informant interviews and FGD will be transcribed Later codes will be designed to generate themes The thematic analysis will be done by using NVIVO or ATLASti software Consent for audio recording would be obtained from participants and confidentiality would be maintained Descriptive statistics such as measures of central tendency and dispersion would be carried out to describe the data