We investigated factors associated with increased risk for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in ambulance personnel and the barriers faced in accessing support for work-related stress (WRS). A cross-sectional study of 388 ambulance personnel used self-administered questionnaires to assess for PTSD and level of occupational stressors: Impact of Event Scale-Revised, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Critical Incident Inventory, EMS Chronic Stress Questionnaire, SF-36 Quality of Life and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale. The prevalence of PTSD in the study population was 30%. The participants were predominantly female (55%), with a median age of 38 (IQR; 31-44) years. PTSD was associated with smoking (OR = 1.76, 95% CI: 1.05-2.95), illicit drug use (OR = 16.4, 95% CI: 1.87-143.86) and problem drinking (OR = 3.86, 95% CI: 1.80-8.23). A self-reported mental health condition (OR = 3.76, 95% CI: 1.96-7.21), being treated for a medical condition (OR = 1.95, 95% CI: 1.22-3.11), exposure to critical incident stress (OR = 4.27, 95% CI: 2.24-8.15) and chronic WRS (OR = 4.46, 95% CI: 1.93-10.31) were associated with PTSD risk. Barriers to seeking help included concerns that services were not confidential and the negative impact on the participant's career. The increased levels of WRS, strong associations with substance use and barriers to accessing care offer starting points for workplace interventions to reduce the impact of PTSD in ambulance personnel.
Keywords: PTSD; ambulance personnel; barriers; occupational; paramedic; post-traumatic stress; work-related stress.