Abstract
Background:PTSD and burnout are frequent conditions among emergency healthcare personnel because exposed to repeated traumatic working experiences. Increasing evidence suggests high comorbidity between PTSD and mood symptoms, particularly depression, although the real nature of this relationship still remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between PTSD, burnout and lifetime mood spectrum, assessed by a specific scale, among health-care professionals of a major University Hospital in Italy.Methods:N=110 Emergency Unit workers of the Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Pisana (Pisa, Italy) were assessed by the TALS-SR, MOODS-SR lifetime version and the ProQOL R-IV.Results:Approximately 60% of participants met at least one PTSD symptom criterion (criterion B, 63.4%; criterion C, 40.2%; criterion D 29.3%; criterion E, 26.8%), according to DSM-5 diagnosis. Almost sixteen percent of the sample reported a full symptomatic DSM-5 PTSD (work-related) diagnosis, and these showed significantly higher scores in all MOODS-SR depressive domains, as well as in the rhythmicity domain, compared with workers without PTSD. Further, mood-depressive and cognition-depressive MOODS-SR domains resulted to be predictive for PTSD. Significant correlations emerged between either PTSD diagnosis and criteria or ProQOL subscales and all the MOOD-SR domains.Conclusion:A significant association emerged among PTSD, burnout and lifetime MOOD Spectrum, particularly the depressive component, in emergency health care operators, suggesting this population should be considered at-risk and undergo regular screenings for depression and PTSD.
Highlights
Healthcare personnel are frequently and repeatedly exposed to stressful situations and traumatic events so they are more likely to develop pathological conditions such as burnout or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), compared to the general population [1 - 3]
Considering the scant data about the role of depressive symptoms as vulnerability factors of post-traumatic stress reactions among emergency personnel, the purpose of this study was to evaluate lifetime mood spectrum symptoms in emergency personnel and their association with PTSD and burnout in order to identify a subject at risk for developing these conditions
13 (15.9%) participants were found to be affected by DSM-5 PTSD, while higher percentages of each PTSD criterion were reported: criterion B was presented by 50 (63.4%) subjects; criterion C by 33 (40.2%); criterion D by 24 (29.3%); and criterion E (Hyperarousal) by 22 (26.8%) subjects
Summary
Healthcare personnel are frequently and repeatedly exposed to stressful situations and traumatic events so they are more likely to develop pathological conditions such as burnout or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), compared to the general population [1 - 3]. In light of these data, the last edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) significantly modified the diagnostic criteria related to the trauma for the PTSD diagnosis, specifying in Criterion. Several studies described a frequent occurrence of burnout among health-care professionals, in particular among emergency unit operators with rates as high as 86% [2, 9]. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between PTSD, burnout and lifetime mood spectrum, assessed by a specific scale, among health-care professionals of a major University Hospital in Italy
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