The relationship between psychological needs satisfaction and frustration with post-traumatic stress symptoms and post-traumatic growth through humanitarian aid workers

This study aims to investigate the relationship between the levels of satisfaction and frustration of basic psychological needs (BPN) and post-traumatic growth (PTG) and post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) among humanitarian aid workers actively involved in aid operations. Data were collected from 137 humanitarian aid workers via Google Forms. Participants were administered the Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), PTSD Checklist (PTSDC), and Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction and Frustration Scale (BPNSFS). According to the analysis results, there is a significant positive correlation between the satisfaction of basic psychological needs (autonomy, competence, relatedness) and PTG. The satisfaction of basic psychological needs, especially the need for autonomy, significantly predicts PTG. Additionally, there is no significant relationship between the satisfaction of basic psychological needs and PTSS. The frustration of basic psychological needs shows a significant positive correlation with PTSS, suggesting that the frustration of these needs increases post-traumatic stress symptoms among humanitarian aid workers. A significant relationship was found between the PTG sub-dimension of change in life philosophy and PTSS, but the direction of this relationship is not clear. The effects of sociodemographic variables (gender, age, education level, etc.) on PTG, PTSS, and BPN were examined, and it was found that the type of operations and the tasks performed had no significant effect on PTG, PTSS, and BPN scores. These findings highlight the importance of meeting and not frustrating the psychological needs of humanitarian aid workers to facilitate post-traumatic growth and reduce post-traumatic stress symptoms. The results of the study emphasize the need to improve psychological support processes for humanitarian aid workers and shape interventions based on these needs. Keywords: Basic Psychological Needs, Humanitarian Aid Workers, Post-Traumatic Growth, Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms, Psychological Needs Satisfaction and Frustration.