Division of Psychopathology and Clinical Intervention, University of Zurich, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland.
TCRH Training Center Rescue and Help Mosbach, 74821 Mosbach, Germany.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Aug 26;17(17):6184. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17176184.
Rescue workers present an elevated risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and recently, research has begun to focus on coping styles and social support as protective factors in this population. Associations in the particular group of search and rescue dog handlers still lack evidence. The aim of the study is to investigate if functional cognitions and social support also decrease the risk for PTSD. Active voluntary rescue dog handlers ( = 116) rated levels of resilience, sense of coherence, and social acknowledgment (SAQ; subscales general disapproval, familial disapproval, recognition), in addition to a trauma checklist and PTSD symptoms. Linear regression analyses and two different graph models were calculated to explore associations, as well as potential pathways. Controlling for trauma exposure, the SAQ general disapproval emerged as the only significant predictor in the regression model. In the graph models, SAQ familial disapproval was linked to SAQ recognition and SAQ general disapproval. The latter, together with a sense of coherence manageability, affected PTSD re-experiencing symptoms through resilience. The findings are in line with earlier work. The study underlines the importance of targeting resilience and manageability, as well as enhancing social support in prevention programs for PTSD in canine search and rescue teams. Future research is warranted to further investigate model stability and replicate findings.
救援人员患创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）的风险较高，最近，研究开始关注应对方式和社会支持作为该人群的保护因素。在搜救犬 handlers 这一特定群体中，关联仍然缺乏证据。本研究旨在调查功能性认知和社会支持是否也会降低 PTSD 的风险。活跃的志愿搜救犬 handlers（n=116）评估了韧性、感知一致性和社会认可（SAQ；一般否定、家庭否定、认可子量表）的水平，以及创伤检查表和 PTSD 症状。线性回归分析和两种不同的图表模型用于探索关联以及潜在的途径。在控制创伤暴露的情况下，SAQ 一般否定成为回归模型中唯一的显著预测因子。在图表模型中，SAQ 家庭否定与 SAQ 认可和 SAQ 一般否定有关。后者与感知一致性的可管理性一起，通过韧性影响 PTSD 再体验症状。这些发现与早期的工作一致。该研究强调了在犬类搜救队的 PTSD 预防计划中针对韧性和可管理性以及增强社会支持的重要性。需要进一步的研究来进一步调查模型的稳定性并复制研究结果。
