‘All we found were bones’: Veterinary workers’ distress and trauma after Australia's Black Summer bushfires

Abstract

Background: Australia's 2019/2020 Black Summer bushfires affected billions of animals, many of which were rescued and cared for by veterinary and animal care workers (VACWs). Little is known about VACWs’ disaster-related experiences and how these experiences may affect them. Methods: We used a convergent mixed-methods design to explore how a variety of VACWs experienced the Black Summer bushfires. Data were gathered between April and July 2020. Participants (N = 93) were recruited via Facebook posts and emails that contained a link to an online survey. The survey included open-ended questions about VACWs’ bushfire-related experiences and quantitative measures of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, psychological distress, burnout and grief. Results: Participants reported a variety of bushfire-related experiences and described several ways the disaster affected their work, personal lives and communities. Overall, participants scored highly on measures of psychological ill-health. Limitations: Our cross-sectional design and use of non-probability sampling limited the generalisability of the results and may have introduced a response bias. Conclusion: Our results contribute new information on the experiences of VACWs during and after bushfires and the psychological hazards they may face due to the extreme and prolonged stressors produced by such disasters. Implications for policy and veterinary practice are discussed.