The use of Spielberger’s State-Trait Personality Inventory (trait anxiety subscale) with naval subaquatic specialists

Abstract

International Journal of Occupational Medicine and EnvironmentalAbstract Objectives: Panic behavior poses a particular threat to the health and safety of subaquatic occupational specialists. Trait anxiety has previously been identified as a marker of panic behavior under water, and Spielberger's State-Trait Personality Inventory (trait anxiety subscale) has been previously used to measure trait anxiety among subaquatic specialists. Using archived data, the trait anxiety scores of subaquatic specialists were analyzed to meet 3 objectives: 1stly -to develop a trait anxiety profile of subaquatic specialists; 2ndly -to investigate the predictive value of trait anxiety measures upon entering an occupational field; and 3rdly -to establish the reliability of these scores over time. Material and Methods: Archival trait-anxiety data from 322 subjects were analyzed statistically. Results: Analysis of the available scores revealed a highly homogenous as well as a very low trait anxiety profile for the investigated occupational group. Additionally, low trait anxiety was somewhat associated with success during specialist training: fewer candidates with high trait anxiety scores completed their qualification. Moreover, measurement of trait anxiety was stable over time, which suggests that when scores for this occupational group are screened, deviations from previous scores could signify a potential need for referral to an intervention from health professionals. Conclusions: Using the trait anxiety subscale as part of occupational health surveillance of subaquatic specialists could support prevention of accidents by identifying high-risk candidates during their annual health assessments, and referral for timeous intervention.

Психоендокринні Порушення У Підлітків Із Хворобою Грейвса

“…Тревожные рас-стройства диагностируются лишь у 50 % пациентов с очевидными симптомами [16]. Клинически зна-чимая тревога встречается у 5-7 % в общей популя-ции и у 25 % или более пациентов, наблюдающихся врачами общей практики.…”

The problem of experiencing anxiety among divers. Experiment in hyperbaric exposure conditions

“…The current knowledge on the effects of anxiety as a characteristic/state on the behaviour of divers is already well documented in world literature [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14], and the five decades of research in the area of determining optimal personality profiles of divers, especially military divers, and treating the high anxiety index as a predictor of panic anxiety, indicate the importance of this parameter in predicting the risk of a diving accident [15]. The individual's time in different physical conditions during a dive is undoubtedly connected with changes in the mental experiences of the diver, which are determined by situational factors (water environment), and the individual's personality dispositions, including, above all, their level of neuroticism [13,15].…”

“…In the research related to the determination of predictors of panic anxiety in divers, the researchers use in their analyses the concept of classification of anxiety into a state and a quality, which is well established from a psychological perspective [10]. Over the last dozen or so years, a number of questionnaires have been developed to determine whether a person is in a state of anxiety or has a trait of anxiety, understood as a readiness to respond to anxiety in a number of different situations.…”

“…A study conducted by van Wijk [10] (using Spielberger's State-Trait Personality Inventory) on 322 underwater specialists working in stressful conditions (aged 19-52, representing a variety of races) revealed a low profile of anxiety as a trait. Moreover, all candidates for divers with a low level of anxiety as a trait completed specialist training as compared to those with a higher anxiety-trait level.…”

“…A study review by van Wijk showed that anxiety is a reliable predictor of predisposition to experience panic during diving [10]. In particular, individuals with anxiety-trait equal to or higher than the average population are particularly at risk of an occurrence of panic anxiety.…”