PTSD in Paramedics: Direct Versus Indirect Threats, Posttraumatic Cognitions, and Dealing With Intrusions

Abstract

Differences in posttraumatic cognitions as well as in dealing with intrusions were investigated in relation to severity of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in 668 paramedics (Switzerland and Liechtenstein) faced with either direct or indirect threats. PTSD was measured using the Posttraumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale (PDS). The Posttraumatic Cognition Inventory (PTCI) assessed cognitions, and the Response to Intrusions Questionnaire (RIQ) assessed strategies used to deal with intrusions like thought suppression, rumination, and numbing. Dysfunctional posttraumatic cognitions and dysfunctional strategies in dealing with intrusions explained 25% of the variance of the PTSD symptoms. In the indirect threat group, 1.37% of subjects exhibited full PTSD compared to 5.91% of subjects in the direct threat group, while 3.74% of the indirect threat group and 14.06% of the direct threat group suffered from partial PTSD. Direct threats seem to have a higher chance of eliciting partial or full PTSD than indirect th...