Monash study reveals high incidence of PTSD in paramedics and student paramedics
There are more than 14,000 registered paramedics in Australia. Their job places them in high risk situations involving physical trauma and stress. It is estimated that 88% of Australian paramedics experience occupational-based violence including being punched, kicked, bitten, spat at and stabbed in their career.
This violence, associated with a highly physical job that often entails overtime, special duty shifts all contribute to a high level of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in our paramedics, according to new research from the Monash University Paramedic Health and Wellbeing Research Unit (PHWRU). Studies have found that the incidence of PTSD in paramedics can be as high as 16%, significantly higher than the 4.4% average across the general population in Australia.
A global study of firefighters, paramedics, police officers and canine research and rescue teams have the highest of all employment groups of PTSD and that, within this cohort, paramedics have the greatest risk of developing PTSD.
According to lead supervisor, Professor Brett Williams, this PTSD is exacerbated “because of the empathetic relationship that develops between the paramedic and the victim,” he said.
The study, published in the Australasian Journal of Paramedicine, found that paramedics typically experience distressing dreams, flashbacks, avoiding activities or people that may trigger these flashbacks i.e. other paramedics, irritability, difficulty sleeping and concentrating and hypervigilance. They also experience fear for the safety of their own family, alcohol abuse and increased absenteeism.
The study also reveals that childhood exposure to trauma can actually influence someone to take up a career as a paramedic, which increases the risk of developing PTSD later in life when combined with the trauma associated with the job.
While these can resolve, if these symptoms persist they can lead to significant depression, anxiety disorders and PTSD.
The PHWRU studied the role of sensitization (gradually increasing the intensity to simulated traumatic events over time) and kindling (activation of negative responses over time). These programs are being used to prevent the development of PTSD in students within the Monash Department of Paramedicine. According to Professor Williams, student paramedics are at an even greater risk of developing PTSD, “because they are exposed to a range of new environments that are often hard to prepare for, often are undertaken without peer support – and they have the added pressure of being assessed at the time, and they may lack the peer support system that established paramedics have,” he said.
A South African study, cited in the Monash paper which was done with researchers at the Monash University Krongold Clinic, found that 16% of paramedic students had PTSD, 28% had depression and 24% reported alcohol abuse.
Professor Williams warns that the incidence of PTSD in paramedics and student paramedics is likely significantly under-reported, “because of the stigma of acknowledging trauma-related distress in the workforce and the fact that many of these studies reply on self-reporting,” he said.