Förekomst av symptom relaterade till PTSD hos ambulanspersonal

Ambulance staffs are often exposed to difficult situations in their line of work. Severe accidents with strong visual impression, patients exposed to strong mental trauma in the form of death of relatives and other events can also be a trauma for the personnel involved in the incident. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of symptoms of posttraumatic stress among ambulance staff and the extent of aid for managing traumatic events. A quantitative survey study was performed that included a screening part for PTSD. The inclusion criteria for the study were ambulance staff, regardless of level of education, with active service on emergency ambulance. 57 respondents chose to participate in the study. The results showed that 98.2 % of the respondents experienced events at work that affected them emotionally and 73.7 % had recurrent memories of those events. The PTSD screening showed that 15.8 % of respondents were at risk for PTSD. No association was seen between screening points and the respondents’ age or length of employment. Knowledge of the procedures for the management of traumatic events was high among respondents (82.5 %). The most common form of management was defusing within the personnel Group at the ambulance station (62.5 %). What counts as a traumatic event is highly subjective and an individual experience. Participation in the management of traumatic events among the respondents was high (82.5 %), indicating that it had a certain effect on the risk of developing PTSD. For better results in the management of traumatic events, actions should be individualized since what works best is different for each individual.Validerat; 20150611 (global_studentproject_submitter