Mental health risks for cultural heritage professionals within the framework of disaster risk reduction: An exploratory study on the emotional impact of ruins after the 2016 earthquake in central Italy

Across the disaster risk reduction (DRR) community, there is a growing recognition that protecting cultural heritage has a key role in strengthening community sense and resilience. Despite this, however, cultural heritage first aiders, that is, heritage professionals managing the activities of securing movable and immovable cultural heritage in emergencies after disasters, are not adequately recognized in the DRR framework with respect to the mental risks they face, working in the field of emergencies. This study aims to explore the specific quality of mental health risks for cultural heritage first aiders, analyzing the emotional impact of the sight of cultural heritage ruins on a sample of cultural heritage first aiders, compared with a sample of emergency psychologists and earthquake victims, together with exploring the possible role of collateral variables, such as personality traits. Participants were 30 Italian adults who have been involved, to different degrees and roles, in the 2016 Central Italy (Marche region) earthquake or immediately after, for post-disaster emergency activities. Results showed an interesting gradient of the emotional impact of heritage ruins, with heritage professionals at the apex of it. Moreover, heritage professionals showed a higher aesthetic-artistic sensitivity together with the presence of post-traumatic stress long after the disaster event, thus highlighting a specific profile of risk for mental health, which should be taken into serious account by the scientific community. A suggestion is finally proposed on the potential usefulness of including pre-disaster psychological training for cultural heritage aiders in the DRR strategies, also in light of the increasing need for a person-centered approach integrating Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) in the DRR framework.