Mental health risks in cultural heritage first responders after disasters: A review and suggestions for future research

Background: Disasters are severely impactful events with the potential to provide injuries or death, destroy properties, and put in danger the mental health of people exposed to them. People who are particularly involved in disasters are first responders. In this work, we will focus on a specific type of first responder, i.e., cultural heritage clinicians who have the responsibility to preserve, protect, and recover cultural heritage from damage. Aims: This review aims to discuss the mental health risks for first responders after disasters, with a specific focus on cultural heritage first responders. Methods: Studies had to be: 1) in English; 2) on adults; 3) original studies or clinical trials; 4) related to the mental health of participants; 5) published in peer-reviewed journals. Exclusion criteria were: 1) being written in languages different from English; 2) being conducted on adolescents/children; 3) not being related to the mental health of participants; 4) being a book/report/summary; 5) not being a clinical trial; 6) not being peer-reviewed. The search was run throughout PsycInfo, PsycArticles, and Medline on the 1st of April 2022 on articles published between 2012 and 2022 by using these keywords: natural disasters or tsunamis or floods or drought or wildfire or earthquake or tornado or hurricane or snowstorm AND first responders or firefighters or paramedics or police or emergency services or emergency medical services AND mental health or mental illness or mental disorder or psychiatric illness. Results: First responders are at risk of depression, anxiety, sleep disturbances, alcohol/substance abuse, and suicide ideation. Currently, there are no studies on mental health risks for cultural heritage first responders. There are some training programs designed for first responders in emergencies. Recent results seem to confirm their usefulness for first responders, leading us to suggest their application also for cultural heritage first responders. Conclusion: Further studies should explore the psychological impact of cultural heritage first responders, as well as the effect that psychological training can have on them.