A qualitative, cross-cultural investigation into the impact of potentially traumatic work events on Saudi and UK ambulance personnel and how they cope

Abstract

Background Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is common among ambulance personnel, but its prevalence varies between developed and developing countries. This study aimed to investigate the lived experience of potentially traumatic work events between Saudi and UK ambulance personnel. Methods Semi-structured interviews with 16 ambulance workers from Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom (8 participants from each country) were conducted to explore their lived experiences of potentially traumatic events at work. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results Four key themes were identified from interviews: (1) some events are inherently more stressful than others; (2) pressure of organizational and interpersonal stressors; (3) convergence and divergence in cross-cultural coping strategies; and (4) preferring formal and confidential support. Conclusions There were differences in the nature of traumatic events and the ways of coping between the two cultures, but paramedics in both cultures had an agreement about their preference for individual and formal support. The results of this study may help inform the development of interventions and PTSD prevention programs for ambulance personnel.

Impacts of Post Critical Incident Seminar on emergency service personnel: The critical incident–related experiences and psychological state

“…A potentially traumatic incident at work can be called a critical incident (CI). Commonly, CIs involve patient death (Halpern, Gurevich, Schwartz & Brazeau, 2009), physical injuries, vulnerable victims, or threats to paramedics themselves (Alshahrani et al ., 2022). Additionally, handling a situation with a dead body, encountering a neglected child or a badly beaten adult, or facing someone a personnel member knows already are among the most stressful CIs (Donnelly & Bennett, 2014).…”

Causes of stress and poor wellbeing among paramedic students in Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom: a cross-cultural qualitative study

“…However, while some studies have investigated paramedic students’ wellbeing within the context of individual Western countries, there have been few studies in non-Western nations or cross-cultural studies on this topic [ 20 , 27 ]. Indeed, only two cross-cultural studies have compared the mental health of paramedics from Western and non-Western nations [ 28 , 29 ], and these were on qualified paramedics rather than students. Furthermore, few studies have investigated factors contributing to stress in paramedicine students [ 8 ].…”

Causes of stress and poor mental health in paramedicine students: A cross-cultural qualitative investigation in Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom

“…However, while some studies have investigated paramedicine students' wellbeing within the context of individual Western countries, there have been few studies in non-Western nations or cross-cultural studies on this topic (Emond et al, 2015; Warren-James et al, 2021). Indeed, only two cross-cultural studies have compared the mental health of paramedics from Western and non-Western nations (Alshahrani et al, 2022;Khan et al, 2020), and these were on quali ed paramedics rather than students. Furthermore, few studies have investigated factors contributing to stress in paramedicine students (Fjeldheim et al, 2014).…”