Abstract

This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of Maeum, Pause, a short-term group psychological intervention integrating psychoeducation and mind-body activities for disaster response personnel. Employing a non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest design, the study compared an intervention group (n=29) with a comparison group (n=34) that received disaster mental health education during the same period. Quantitative data were collected at baseline, post-intervention, and a one-month follow-up, and analyzed using mixed-effects linear regression models. In addition, in-depth interviews were conducted with five participants and analyzed using thematic analysis to explore participants’ experiences and perceived changes following program participation. Results indicated that the intervention group exhibited significantly greater reductions in post-traumatic stress symptoms and somatic symptoms at follow-up compared to the comparison group. Self-efficacy for health practices and interoceptive awareness also significantly improved following the intervention, with increases in interoceptive awareness significantly predicting reductions in somatic symptoms at follow-up. Qualitative findings identified two core themes: expansion of internal self-awareness and enhancement of self-regulation capacity. Participants reported that heightened interoceptive awareness facilitated the application of self-regulation strategies in daily life, promoting both psychological and physical recovery. Integrated findings further showed that the mental health and psychological changes observed following program participation were generally consistent with participants’ reported experiences of expanded self-awareness and self-regulation. Our results suggest that even short-term group interventions can promote improvements in mental health among disaster response personnel, with these benefits maintained over time. This study provides empirical support for evidence-based programs for disaster response personnel.