Paris Olympics: Psychological Impact on Participants Playing the Role of Victims in a Disaster Exercise

Introduction: During the Paris 2024 Olympic Games preparations, disaster medicine simulations were organized. One scenario featured the release of a neurotoxic agent into the bleachers of a stadium during a field hockey game, causing poisoning and a stampede in the audience. To design the situation more realistically, designated participants were assigned as victims and others as witnesses. The aim of this study was to assess the psychological impact of this exercise on these participants. Methods: All 76 participants were volunteers. Thirty-five were designated as involved, 32 as moderately injured, 8 as seriously injured, and one as dead. Psychologists briefed 72% of participants before the exercise. Immediately after the start of the exercise, participants were informed that a neurotoxic agent was released by two terrorists. They were asked to follow a decontamination process in the stadium. This included medical care, with undressing and decontamination with absorbent material, followed by showers. Gender, age, occupation, similar experience, their opinion, and anxiety level (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory - STAI) were collected just before, immediately after, and one week after the exercise. Results: The response rate was 89%, average age 37 years, sex ratio 0.7, 89% of participants had previous first-aid training, and 39% had previously participated in a similar disaster exercise. Anxiety levels ranged from 2% before exercise to 12% immediately after and 10% one week after exercise. The exercise was considered upsetting for 38% of participants, although this was not associated with a refusal or reluctance to take part in this type of exercise again (22%). Anxiety levels were not related to a previous briefing with psychologists or any similar experience. Conclusion: Anxiety generated by this type of exercise could be anticipated by carefully avoiding recruiting overly emotional individuals. However, this did not affect participants’ willingness to partake in future events.