Post-traumatic Stress Risk Factor in Fire Fighters

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Jeongyee Bae ◽  
Yoonjung Kim
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factor ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Fire Fighters ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
In Fire

Prevalence and Mediating Factors of Post-Traumatic Stress in Professional Fire-Fighters

2005 ◽  
Vol 49 (13) ◽  
pp. 1261-1265
Author(s):  
Allison Watters ◽  
Kevin Hamilton ◽  
J. Patrick Neary ◽  
Gregory Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Contextual Factors ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Workplace Health ◽  
Fire Fighters ◽  
Daily Work ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Routine Work ◽  
Post Traumatic

Previous studies on Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS) in fire-fighters have typically examined group responses to unusual and traumatic events. In this study, symptoms of PTS were observed in a group of urban Canadian firefighters during routine operations in the context of typical daily work. Participants completed a PTS questionnaire as well as a workplace health questionnaire which assessed environmental and contextual factors in addition to personal health. Elevated levels of PTS were observed in 18.1% of the 105 fire-fighters studied. Those who reported elevated symptoms also reported more concern for financial issues, more worries and more concern about needing physical exercise and support services. These results indicate that emergency response professionals such as fire-fighters can develop elevated levels of PTS in the context of routine work. The findings also suggest that the development of PTS involves a complex relationship between characteristics of stressors, work related variables and other contextual factors specific to the individuals affected. Complex models are needed to account for these types of interactions, particularly in chronically stressful occupational settings. Strategies for mitigating symptoms of PTS are discussed and suggestions for future research are offered

Pain in the aftermath of trauma is a risk factor for post-traumatic stress disorder

2007 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 533-542 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. B. Norman ◽  
M. B. Stein ◽  
J. E. Dimsdale ◽  
D. B. Hoyt
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Risk Factor ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Injury ◽  
Surgical Trauma ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Post Traumatic

BackgroundIdentifying risk factors for the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is important for understanding and ultimately preventing the disorder. This study assessed pain shortly after traumatic injury (i.e. peritraumatic pain) as a risk factor for PTSD.MethodParticipants (n=115) were patients admitted to a Level 1 Surgical Trauma Center. Admission to this service reflected a severe physical injury requiring specialized, emergent trauma care. Participants completed a pain questionnaire within 48 h of traumatic injury and a PTSD diagnostic module 4 and 8 months later.ResultsPeritraumatic pain was associated with an increased risk of PTSD, even after controlling for a number of other significant risk factors other than acute stress disorder symptoms. An increase of 0.5 s.d. from the mean in a 0–10 pain rating scale 24–48 h after injury was associated with an increased odds of PTSD at 4 months by more than fivefold, and at 8 months by almost sevenfold. A single item regarding amount of pain at the time of hospital admission correctly classified 65% of participants.ConclusionsIf these findings are replicated in other samples, high levels of peritraumatic pain could be used to identify individuals at elevated risk for PTSD following traumatic injury.

Smaller hippocampal volume as a vulnerability factor for the persistence of post-traumatic stress disorder

2015 ◽  
Vol 45 (13) ◽  
pp. 2737-2746 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. J. H. van Rooij ◽  
M. Kennis ◽  
R. Sjouwerman ◽  
M. P. van den Heuvel ◽  
R. S. Kahn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factor ◽  
Successful Treatment ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Hippocampal Volume ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Left Hippocampus ◽  
Post Traumatic

BackgroundSmaller hippocampal volume has often been observed in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, there is no consensus whether this is a result of stress/trauma exposure, or constitutes a vulnerability factor for the development of PTSD. Second, it is unclear whether hippocampal volume normalizes with successful treatment of PTSD, or whether a smaller hippocampus is a risk factor for the persistence of PTSD.MethodMagnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans and clinical interviews were collected from 47 war veterans with PTSD, 25 healthy war veterans (combat controls) and 25 healthy non-military controls. All veterans were scanned a second time with a 6- to 8-month interval, during which PTSD patients received trauma-focused therapy. Based on post-treatment PTSD symptoms, patients were divided into a PTSD group who was in remission (n = 22) and a group in whom PTSD symptoms persisted (n = 22). MRI data were analysed with Freesurfer.ResultsSmaller left hippocampal volume was observed in PTSD patients compared with both control groups. Hippocampal volume of the combat controls did not differ from healthy controls. Second, pre- and post-treatment analyses of the PTSD patients and combat controls revealed reduced (left) hippocampal volume only in the persistent patients at both time points. Importantly, hippocampal volume did not change with treatment.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that a smaller (left) hippocampus is not the result of stress/trauma exposure. Furthermore, hippocampal volume does not increase with successful treatment. Instead, we demonstrate for the first time that a smaller (left) hippocampus constitutes a risk factor for the persistence of PTSD.

scholarly journals Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as a Systemic Disorder: Pathways to Cardiovascular Disease. Article in press, HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY, 2021.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
David S. Krantz ◽  
Lisa M. Shank ◽  
Jeffrey L. Goodie
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Cardiovascular Disease ◽  
Risk Factor ◽  
Cardiovascular Risk ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Systemic Disorder ◽  
Post Traumatic

Evidence indicates that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a significant risk factor for the development and progression of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Most explanations for PTSD-CVD associations conceptualize PTSD as a stress-related mental health disorder that elicits physiological, behavioral, and psychological responses that are causal factors in the development of cardiovascular disorders. This article reviews evidence for the broader physical health consequences of PTSD, and presents a conceptual model based on research suggesting that PTSD is a systemic disorder. Specifically, research findings indicate that diagnostic criteria are just the “tip of the iceberg” of a broader systemic disorder with elements that are cardiovascular risk factors. These systemic physiological and behavioral elements therefore should not be regarded as accompanying but unrelated diseases or comorbidities, but as inherent components of PTSD that directly impact the development of CVD. The systemic disorder approach has implications for the conceptualization of PTSD as a cardiovascular risk factor, needed research on PTSD and CVD, and clinical efforts to reduce PTSD-associated cardiovascular risk. It is suggested that treatments that aim to reduce cardiovascular disease risk need to address both the PTSD diagnostic components and its associated cardiovascular risk factors. Further research is needed to test the applicability and implications of the systemic disorder perspective.

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