Clinical trial NCT03842553: Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms Among Rescuers at Risk
Official title: Rescuers at Risk: Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms Differ Among Police Officers, Fire Fighters, Ambulance Personnel, and Emergency and Psychiatric Nurses
Study type: OBSERVATIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Conditions: Trauma
PTSD
Self Efficacy
Coping Skills
Suicidal Ideation
Keywords: PTSD
Trauma
Coping
Self Efficacy
Lead sponsor: University of Bern
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2019-02-15
Enrollment: 1001
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 65
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Observational model: COHORT
Time perspective: CROSS_SECTIONAL
Sampling method: PROBABILITY_SAMPLE
Study population: Employees of rescue and emergency services in the canton Bern, Switzerland: - Firefighters of the canton Bern

* Ambulance personnel of the canton Bern
* Police officers of the canton Bern
* Emergency nurses of the University Hospital of Bern
* Psychiatric nurses of University Hospital of Psychiatry, Bern

Brief summary: This cross-sectional, anonymous online survey aims to examine how salient variables influence PTSS, well-being, and suicidal ideation across the following professions of rescue workers: firefighters, ambulance personnel, police officers, and emergency and psychiatric nurses. PTSS, coping strategies, well-being, suicidal ideation, previously experienced and work-related trauma, and self-efficacy were measured and analyzed using multiple regression and structural equation modeling.

Detailed description: Employees of rescue and emergency services are at a risk of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) due to exposure to trauma and work-related stressors. Salient predictors for the development of PTSS among rescue workers have been identified; however, little is known about how predictors (e.g. coping strategies) differ among professions requiring repeated engagement in emergencies. The present survey examines how these variables influence PTSS, well-being, and suicidal ideation across different professions of rescue Workers using multiple regression and structural equation modeling.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

Employee at the rescue or emergency services. The participation in the anonymous online study is voluntary and promoted by the department heads at the places of work corresponding to the studied professions. No ethical approval is needed as the survey was voluntary and anonymous and participants gave consent to use the data with their participation.

Exclusion Criteria:

* None

Primary outcomes:
measure: PTSS-10
timeFrame: at baseline
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Well-being
timeFrame: at baseline
measure: Suicidal Ideation
timeFrame: within the last 12 months before the survey
measure: Psychological distress and psychiatric disorders
timeFrame: at baseline
Other outcomes:
measure: Self-efficacy
timeFrame: at baseline
measure: Coping Strategies
timeFrame: at baseline
measure: The burden of stressful job-related circumstances
timeFrame: at baseline
measure: work-unrelated trauma
timeFrame: at baseline
measure: work-related trauma
timeFrame: at baseline
Locations:
city: Bern
country: Switzerland
facility: University Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Bern
Study officials:
affiliation: University Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Bern
name: Leila Soravia, Ph.D.
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Soravia LM, Schwab S, Walther S, Muller T. Rescuers at Risk: Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms Among Police Officers, Fire Fighters, Ambulance Personnel, and Emergency and Psychiatric Nurses. Front Psychiatry. 2021 Jan 19;11:602064. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.602064. eCollection 2020.