Abstract
The provision of emergency medical services (EMS) is an inherently stressful job. Depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are common psychological challenges affecting EMS providers. As disasters increase worldwide, the need for EMS also increases, as they are an essential part of any disaster management system. Studies have shown that EMS providers experience psychological challenges due to disaster response without receiving the needed psychological support. There is a scarcity of research focusing on EMS providers' psychological challenges in disaster times, especially in the Eastern world. This review highlights the psychological challenges faced by EMS providers in disaster times and discusses the amount of mental health care they receive. By emphasizing the need for mental health support, more research can be conducted to view EMS providers' perspectives on mental health needs before, during, and after disasters, and EMS policy makers can find programs to meet EMS providers' mental health needs, which might reflect positively on EMS and disaster management systems.
Highlights
A longitudinal study conducted after the 2017 Taiwan earthquake among 37 emergency medical services (EMS) providers showed that 19 EMS providers (51.3%) reported posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms after 1 month, with 13 of those reporting PTSD symptoms at a 6-month follow-up [11]
The results indicate that the psychological challenges associated with disaster response can develop into chronic mental illness, negatively impacting their work efficiency and threatening the safety of EMS providers and their patients
EMS is considered a keystone of any disaster management system, and EMS providers play a significant role in saving lives during disasters
Summary
Depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are common psychological challenges affecting EMS providers. Studies have shown that EMS providers experience psychological challenges due to disaster response without receiving the needed psychological support. This review highlights the psychological challenges faced by EMS providers in disaster times and discusses the amount of mental health care they receive. The primary goal of disaster management is saving lives; emergency medical service (EMS) providers are an essential part of any disaster management system [1]. In disaster times, they are required to act quickly and efficiently to save lives and minimize injuries.
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