Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39495048›Full record

SynthesisOccupational medicine (Oxford, England)2025

Systematic review and meta-analysis on the mental health of emergency and urgent call-handlers and dispatchers.

C Osório, S Talwar, S A M Stevelink, H K Sihre, D Lamb, J Billings

Erratum issuedAbstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Occupational medicine (Oxford, England), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 8 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Review
  8. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

C OsórioDivision of Psychiatry, University College London (UCL), London W1T 7NF, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-7509-6949
S TalwarDivision of Psychiatry, University College London (UCL), London W1T 7NF, UK.
S A M StevelinkDepartment of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), Weston Education Centre, King's College London, London SE5 9RJ, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-7655-7986
H K SihreDepartment of Primary Care and Population Health, University College London (UCL), London WC1E 6BT, UK.
D LambDepartment of Primary Care and Population Health, University College London (UCL), London WC1E 6BT, UK.
J BillingsDivision of Psychiatry, University College London (UCL), London W1T 7NF, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-1238-2440

Funding

ARC North ThamesDepartment of Health and Social CareMaudsley Biomedical Research Centre at South London and MaudsleyNational Institute for Health and Care ResearchNational Institute for Health and Care Research NIHR300592National Institute for Health and Care Research ARC North ThamesNHS Foundation Trust
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCall-handlers and dispatchers (CHDs) working in specialized emergency and urgent communication centres are essential in supporting public safety and health. Evidence suggests that these professionals are at increased risk of mental health conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety and alcohol abuse among other conditions; however, reliable prevalence estimates remain undetermined.

aimsWe provide the estimated pooled prevalence for PTSD, depression, anxiety and hazardous drinking among emergency and urgent CHDs globally.

methodsWe searched 10 electronic databases, grey literature and the Annals of Emergency Dispatch and Response. Eligible studies reported original quantitative data and used validated self-reported measures on the prevalence of mental health conditions of interest (i.e. PTSD, depression, anxiety and alcohol use) within CHD professionals. Three reviewers independently screened results for eligibility. Prevalence estimates were pooled using random-effects meta-analyses.

resultsIn total, 16 857 references were retrieved. From these, 183 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility, of which 37 articles were included in this systematic review, and 13 articles provided necessary quantitative information for meta-analyses. In total, 7759 CHDs were considered across nine different countries. The overall pooled prevalence for PTSD was 17.8% (95% confidence interval [CI] 12.4-24.0%), depression was 28.2% (95% CI 20.7-36.2%), anxiety was 17.2% (95% CI 6.6-31.5%) and hazardous drinking was 17.8% (95% CI 6.9-32.2%).

conclusionsThese findings indicate CHDs are at significant risk of mental health problems. Further quantitative and qualitative research is warranted to help understand the psychological risks of working as a CHD and guide appropriate psychological support.

Indexed as

Mental DisordersMental HealthAnxietyDepressionHumansPrevalenceStress Disorders, Post-Traumatic

Identifiers

PMID39495048
PMCPMC12449257

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Registered trials

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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.