Noureen Nazia, Gul Seema, Maqsood Aneela, Hakim Humaira, Yaswi Arooj
Department of Psychology, Foundation University, Rawalpindi 44000, Punjab, Pakistan.
General Studies Department, College of Humanities and Sciences, Prince Sultan University, Riyadh 11586, Saudi Arabia.
Behav Sci (Basel). 2023 Dec 27;14(1):21. doi: 10.3390/bs14010021.
Rescue workers, who often find themselves on the frontlines of traumatic events, face an increased risk of experiencing secondary traumatic stress (STS) and psychological distress (PD). The nature of their work, alongside professional factors, can influence the way these psychological aspects manifest and their level of severity. This study aimed to explore the relationship between STS and PD in rescue workers. Additionally, it sought to understand how factors such as age, years of experience, duration of work, training received and direct exposure to trauma explain significant variations in reporting to STS. To conduct this research, a cross-sectional study design was implemented involving a sample of 80 rescue workers from the Punjab province in Pakistan. Data was collected over eight weeks using the secondary traumatic stress scale (STSS-17) and the general health questionnaire (GHQ-12) as primary assessment tools. Participants' data was analyzed through Pearson correlation analysis, -tests, and ANOVA. A strong positive correlation between STS and PD among rescue workers was established. Age significantly explains variation in scores, with older workers displaying reduced STS and PD symptoms. Rescue workers working for longer hours reported elevated STS compared to those working shorter shifts. Workers with more extended professional experience showcased lower STS, highlighting the potential resilience acquired over time. The study also underscored the importance of training duration: longer, well-structured training was associated with decreased STS and PD. Interestingly, longer exposure to trauma was found to be related to lower STS scores, albeit this warrants further investigation. This study underscores the intertwined nature of STS and PD among rescue workers and the various modulating factors. The study paves the way for more comprehensive research, expanding geographically and demographically.
救援人员常常身处创伤事件的第一线，面临着遭受继发性创伤应激（STS）和心理困扰（PD）的更高风险。他们工作的性质，连同职业因素，会影响这些心理问题的表现方式及其严重程度。本研究旨在探讨救援人员中STS与PD之间的关系。此外，它试图了解年龄、工作年限、工作时长、接受的培训以及直接接触创伤等因素如何解释在报告STS方面的显著差异。为了进行这项研究，采用了横断面研究设计，涉及来自巴基斯坦旁遮普省的80名救援人员样本。使用继发性创伤应激量表（STSS - 17）和一般健康问卷（GHQ - 12）作为主要评估工具，在八周内收集数据。通过Pearson相关分析、t检验和方差分析对参与者的数据进行分析。结果发现救援人员中STS与PD之间存在强正相关。年龄显著解释了得分的差异，年长的救援人员表现出较低的STS和PD症状。与工作时长较短的救援人员相比，工作时长较长的救援人员报告的STS水平较高。专业经验更丰富 的救援人员表现出较低的STS，这凸显了随着时间推移获得的潜在恢复力。该研究还强调了培训时长的重要性：更长、结构良好的培训与较低的STS和PD相关。有趣的是，发现更长时间接触创伤与较低的STS得分相关，尽管这需要进一步研究。本研究强调了救援人员中STS和PD的相互交织性质以及各种调节因素。该研究为更全面的研究铺平了道路，在地理和人口统计学方面进行扩展。
