Traumatic impact of a fire disaster on survivors—A 25-year follow-up of the 1978 hotel fire in Borås, Sweden

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate the long-term psychological and mental health outcomes among survivors of a disastrous hotel fire. A 25-year follow-up investigation among adolescent and young adult survivors of a fire disaster was conducted in Borås, Sweden. A self-evaluation questionnaire and four self-rating scales—the IES-22, PTSS-10, GHQ-28 and SoC—were sent by mail to the participants. The results from the self-reported data showed low levels of psychiatric illness. Moreover, the respondents reported a low level of traumatic stress symptoms. More than 50% of the participants stated that the fire had a determining effect on their lives. Sixteen (21.3%) respondents indicated that the fire still had an impact on their daily lives. Differences between men and women were reported in most of the self-rating scales. The results indicate that a traumatizing experience (such as a fire disaster) still had a small effect on psychological health in a long-term perspective.

• Bereavement
• Fire disaster
• Follow-up study
• Post-traumatic stress disorder