Document Type : Original Article

Authors

• Dariush Jafarzadeh ¹
• Tayebe Rahimi Pordanjani ²
• Ali Mohammadzadeh Ebrahimi ²

¹ Research Center for Emergency and Disaster Resilience, Red Crescent Society of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Tehran, Iran

² Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Bojnord, Bojnord, Iran

Abstract

Background: Rescue and relief workers are routinely exposed to stressful conditions and job demands that exceed their capacities, negatively impacting their physical, mental, and social well-being. Identifying the factors contributing to job stress in these workers is therefore crucial. This study aims to determine the factors influencing job stress among rescue and relief workers in the Iranian Red Crescent Society.
Methods: This qualitative study employed a thematic content analysis approach. The participants were 26 operational staff members from five provinces—East Azerbaijan, Isfahan, Tehran, Khorasan Razavi, and Fars—selected through purposive and random sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured, in-depth interviews until data saturation was achieved. The analysis followed Graneheim and Lundman's qualitative content analysis method.
Results: Two primary themes emerged from the analysis: organizational factors (with five subcategories: managerial, structural, job-related, perceptual, and compensation-related factors) and personality traits (with seven subcategories: conscientiousness, extraversion, emotional stability, self-efficacy, altruism, resilience, and emotional intelligence).
Conclusion: The findings suggest that organizational and personality factors significantly affect the job stress of relief and rescue personnel. It is recommended that these factors be considered when selecting Red Crescent Society volunteers and designing their training programs.

Keywords

• Job stress
• Rescue and relief workers
• Qualitative research