SynthesisFrontiers in public health2023
Work-related posttraumatic stress disorder in paramedics in comparison to data from the general population of working age. A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Frontiers in public health, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 30 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
30 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 35 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
- Comparing the molecular correlates of PTSD in first responders and the broader molecular PTSD literature: a hybrid review.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Pooled it
- The Effectiveness of Debriefing on the Mental Health of Rescue Teams: A Systematic Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Pooled it
- Cognitive Resilience Training to Prevent PTSD and Major Depressive Disorder in Paramedic Recruits: A Randomized Clinical Trial.JAMA network open · 2026Trial
- Cumulative trauma, neural circuits, and burnout: an integrative model of healthcare worker post-traumatic stress syndromes.European journal of psychotraumatology · 2026Review
- Post-traumatic stress disorder: outline and updated insights focusing on occupational factors.Journal of occupational medicine and toxicology (London, England) · 2026Review
- Proactive Resilience Programmes for Improving Resilience and Psychological Adaptation in Employees in High-Risk Occupations: A Systematic Review.Campbell systematic reviews · 2026Review
- Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms and Dissociation in Emergency Medical Service Personnel.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms, Occupational Stress, Emotional Exhaustion, and Quiet Quitting in Workplace-Violence-Exposed Turkish Prehospital Emergency Workers: A Cross-Sectional Study.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Workplace Programs to Reduce Post-traumatic Stress Injuries Work Disability: First Responder Experiences.Journal of occupational rehabilitation · 2026Article
- Psychological Distress, Resilience and Social Support as Predictors of Change in Quality of Life Over One Year in Paramedic Trainees.International journal of behavioral medicine · 2026Article
- The Development and Protocol for Testing a Co-Created Digital Intervention (Sentinel) to Improve Mental Well-Being and Help Manage and Prevent Trauma in First Responders.JMIR research protocols · 2026Article
- Qualitative evaluation of ambulance paramedic staff's medication practices and awareness in cardiovascular emergency care.BMC emergency medicine · 2026Article
- Evaluation of SHAPE cognitive therapy coaching for PTSD and depression symptoms in healthcare workers repeatedly exposed to trauma.Scientific reports · 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
- Exploring sociodemographic factors and coping strategies before and during the COVID-19 pandemic among paramedics working in a Middle Eastern country.Qatar medical journal · 2026Article
- Ambulance traffic accidents and their impact on prehospital personnel: a mixed-methods study.Scandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine · 2025Article
- Review
- Post-Traumatic Stress, Workplace Violence, Resilience, and Burnout: A Path Analysis Among Korean Paramedics.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Psychological impact on first responders dispatched to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest via smartphone alerting system: A longitudinal survey-based study.Resuscitation plus · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Objective: Paramedics are at particularly high risk for developing posttraumatic stress disorders (PTSD). Hitherto, evidence for higher prevalence rates in paramedics compared to the general population is vague. We aimed to determine and compare 12-month prevalence of PTSD in paramedics and general population from high-income countries. Methods: We conducted systematic review processes to identify relevant studies for inclusion. For paramedics, we searched relevant databases, reference lists, and did citation tracking. Inclusion criteria were applied according to PICO. Quality of the studies was assessed using a validated methodological rating tool. Twelve-month prevalence data from all studies were pooled using random effects model. Subgroup analyses were performed to identify sources of heterogeneity. Results: In total, we found 41 distinct samples with 17,045 paramedics, 55 samples with 311,547 individuals from non-exposed general population, 39 samples with 118,806 individuals from populations affected by natural disasters, and 22 samples with 99,222 individuals from populations affected by human-made disasters. Pooled 12-month prevalence estimates of PTSD were 20.0, 3.1, 15.6, and 12.0%, respectively. Prevalence estimates in paramedics varied with methodological quality and measurement instrument. Paramedics reporting distinct critical incidences had lower pooled prevalence than paramedics reporting indistinct types of exposure. Conclusion: Paramedics have a pooled prevalence of PTSD that is considerably higher than rates of unexposed general population and populations affected by human-made disasters. Chronic exposure to low-threshold traumatic events during daily routine work is a risk factor for developing PTSD. Strategies to ensure long working lifetime are strongly needed.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.