ArticleScandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine2022
A cross-sectional study of mental health-, posttraumatic stress symptoms and post exposure changes in Norwegian ambulance personnel.
Article in Scandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 24 citations in OpenAlex.
- A systematic review of the prevalence, risk factors, and protective factors of posttraumatic stress disorder among paramedics.Journal of traumatic stress · 2026Pooled it
- Prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder in healthcare workers before and during COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in public health · 2026Pooled it
- Psychosocial work environment and health among ambulance clinicians in northern Sweden.Discover mental health · 2026Article
- Psychological distress among emergency medical services personnel: implications for public health preparedness and system resilience.International journal of emergency medicine · 2026Article
- RESCUE- expected usefulness and willingness to participate in a trauma-informed group intervention for coping with traumatic work experiences in the emergency medical services.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Article
- Ambulance traffic accidents and their impact on prehospital personnel: a mixed-methods study.Scandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine · 2025Article
- Prevalence of Anxiety, Depression, and Insomnia Among Medical Workers in Emergency Medical Services in Eastern Kazakhstan.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Article
- Problematic anger among military personnel after combat deployment: prevalence and risk factors.BMC psychology · 2024Article
- Article
- Physicians' challenges when working in the prehospital environment - a qualitative study using grounded theory.International journal of emergency medicine · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundPosttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been shown to be elevated among first responders (Emergency Medical Services, fire service, police force) compared to the general population. Examining the prevalence of mental health issues in a work force with an elevated occupational risk is fundamental towards ensuring their wellbeing and implementing safeguard measures. The goal of this study is therefore to report the prevalence of depression, anxiety, posttraumatic development, and PTSD in Norwegian ambulance personnel.
methodsThis study is a cross-sectional, anonymous, web-based survey (Questback®), performed among operative personnel employed in the Emergency Medical Services in the Regional Health Trust of Central Norway between 18. February and 9. April 2021. The study was sent to 1052 eligible participants. Questions reported demographic data, a traumatic events exposure index, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (Depression), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 scale, Posttraumatic symptom scale (PTSD) and Posttraumatic change scale.
resultsThe response rate in this study was 45.5% (n = 479/1052). The mean age of respondents was 37.1 years (std. 11.1) and 52.8% (n = 253) were male. Of the respondents, 80.6% (n = 386) were married or had a partner, and 91.6% (n = 439) reported having access to a peer support programme, with 34.9% (n = 167) reporting that they had utilized peer support. In this study, 5% (n = 24) showed a prevalence of manifest posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, while 8.6% (n = 41) reported moderate to severe depression and 2.9% (n = 14) presented moderate to severe symptoms of general anxiety. Of the respondents, 77.2% (n = 370) reported personal growth because of their work experiences.
conclusionsThis study indicates that Norwegian ambulance personnel report a prevalence of posttraumatic stress symptoms and depression, which is slightly higher for men, and lower for the female proportion in this study, when compared to an adult Norwegian population. The vast majority of respondents reported personal growth because of their work experience, and both the degree of peer support and having a partner seem to influence levels of posttraumatic stress and -development.
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