Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder among Emergency Medical Services Personnel: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is characterized by directly experiencing traumatic events or witnessing, learning, or repetitively experiencing the details of these events. High risk occupations (i.e., EMS personnel) frequently encounter traumatic eventscoping with events exceeding the range of human experiences. Regional lack of studies necessitated the need to report the prevalence of PTSD among healthcare providers in Saudi Arabia (SA).
 Aims and Objective: To explore the prevalence of PTSD among EMS personnel.
 Materials and Methods: This a descriptive cross-sectional study at King Abdul Aziz Medical City (KAMC), Riyadh, SA among 110 paramedics, emergency medical technicians (EMT), and ambulance drivers who were conveniently selected for this screening. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist, the Civilian version, (PCL-C) was used to screen the participants, and cut-off point was 30-35. PTSD symptoms (present & absent) was considered as outcome measure.
 Results: Total of 110 participants were contacted, 74 (67%) agreed to participate. Around half of the participants were EMT (52%). Total number of screened individuals is 52, 14 (26.9%) had positive screening, of those, EMT had higher proportion than paramedics (32% vs 20.8%).
 Conclusion: This report is the first PTSD prevalence among healthcare providers in SA. The results showed that 26% of EMS personnel had positive screening for PTSD. Attention should be directed toward this issue by regular psychological evaluation and implementing psychological rehabilitation programs for EMS personnel. The study reflects only one center in the city, thus generalization would not be inappropriate.

The immediate psychological response of the general population in Saudi Arabia during COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study

“…The estimate of the prevalence of distress from the present study indicated that more than half of the general public in Saudi Arabia were under severe distress during the pandemic period. The estimated prevalence among the general public was greater than what observed among workers attending emergency medical and fire services in the country (Qumri and Osman, 2014; Alghamdi et al, 2017; Alaqeel et al, 2019). A study from China also reported such a high prevalence among the general public during the current pandemic (Wang et al, 2020).…”

Understanding the influence of the perceived risk of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on the post-traumatic stress disorder and revisit intention of hotel guests

“…PTSD can occur in people who have experienced or witnessed traumatic events such as natural disasters, severe accidents, terrorist acts, wars, and sexual violence ( Piotrowski & Range, 2019 ). PTSD began to be recognized as a mental disorder in the 1980s and is characterized by continuous symptoms associated with traumatic events such as intrusive dreams or memories, changes in mood, avoidance, reactivity, and arousal ( Alaqeel et al, 2019 ). PTSD symptoms can occur in a week to 30 years after the traumatic experience; 30% of cases recover on their own without treatment, but 40% of patients continue to experience symptoms (i.e., panic attacks, hallucinations, aggressive tendencies, impulse control disorders, depression, drug abuse, decreased concentration, and problems with cognitive functions) ( Panagioti et al, 2015 ).…”

“…PTSD can be classified into four symptoms: intrusive thoughts, avoiding reminders, negative thoughts and feelings, and arousal and reactive symptoms; the severity of these symptoms may vary ( Alaqeel et al, 2019 ; Lai et al, 2018 ; Panagioti et al, 2015 ; Piotrowski & Range, 2019 ). Intrusive thoughts refer to the intrusion of painful memories or emotions to the consciousness, resulting in feeling or acting as if the patient is experiencing the actual trauma, and are marked by physiological responses such as severe mental pain and sudden increases in heartbeat ( Piotrowski & Range, 2019 ).…”

“…Negative thoughts and feelings refer to negative changes in the perceptions and emotions relating to the traumatic incident; for example, patients may not remember important parts of the traumatic incident or blame themselves or others by distorting and accepting the cause or results of the trauma ( APA, 2013 ; Pennington et al, 2018 ). Specific symptoms include hypersensitivity, irritability and anger, sleeping difficulties, and negative emotions such as guilt and shame; patients may also feel distanced or isolated from others, making it difficult for them to feel positive emotions such as happiness, satisfaction, and love ( Alaqeel et al, 2019 ). Lastly, arousal and reactive symptoms relate to keeping alert, as if the patient is constantly in danger.…”

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

“…In Saudi Arabia, estimates of PTSD prevalence in ambulance workers have varied, but rates are higher than those reported in European countries. One study in Riyadh city estimated PTSD among paramedics from King Khalid Abdul Aziz Medical City (KAMC) and found that 30% of paramedics were experiencing PTSD [ 13 ]. Another study among Saudi Red Crescent Authority ambulance personnel who worked in Makkah city found 41% of paramedics were affected by PTSD [ 14 ].…”