Citizens’Mental Health Issues and Psychological Trauma Experience due to a Crowd-Crush Disaster in Korea

This study evaluated the state of anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, general mental health, and mental well-beingamong citizens after a crowd-crush disaster in Korea. Individuals who experienced the crowd crush had significantly higheranxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) scores than those who did not (p < 0.001). Additionally,people who avoided the disaster area had significantly higher depression and PTSD scores than those who did not avoid thearea (p < 0.001). Those who directly witnessed the Seoul Halloween crowd crush had a significant difference in PTSD levels ineither group than those who experienced it indirectly (p = 0.005). There was a significant difference in PTSD scores in cases ofdirect damage or death of an acquaintance (p < 0.001). The Seoul Halloween crowd crush caused psychological damagethrough indiscriminate exposure to the public, and symptoms of PTSD appeared over a long period. It is crucial to provideessential resources for ongoing treatment and case management.