Physiologic and Self-Report Assessment of a Multimodal Therapeutic Intervention for PTSD in US Firefighters: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Fire service members are a population with high prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) compared to the general population. Moreover, they are underrepresented in the literature with respect to traumatic stress and corresponding interventions. As such, there is a need to improve treatment of PTSD and its resultant symptoms specifically in fire service members. This pilot study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a multimodal treatment intervention for US fire service members with PTSD. It aimed to (i) assess the effect of the 4-week intervention on self-report and physiologic symptoms, (ii) correlate self-report and physiologic measures of PTSD, and (iii) identify the measures most closely linked to treatment response. Self-report measures of BDI, PSQI, and PCL-5 showed weekly improvement, plateauing around four weeks. The physiologic data of blink reflex amplitude and heart rate variability did not appear to correlate with these self-report measures, but the methods of data collection may need further refinement. This study suggests interesting avenues for future research for PTSD treatment in fire service members, such as evaluating individual components of this intervention. Additionally, it indicates that a four-week period of study should be sufficient to see effects in participants’ symptoms of PTSD, depression, and sleep quality.