Abstract
Evaluation of validity and reliability of the Polish version of the Peritraumatic Distress Inventory (PDI) and conducting factor analysis of the tool. Cross-sectional study involved 100 employees of the Polish emergency medical system. They completed author's questionnaire, the Polish version of the Impact Event Scale-Revised and the 13-item PDI, validated in this study. Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the entire scale, finally including 12 items, is 0.77. A three-factor structure of the tool has been demonstrated, explaining 60.04% of the variance. This analysis revealed moderate to high values of the factor loadings of all items which form subscales with the exception of the fifth subject. On this basis it was decided to reject the fifth item. Cronbach's alpha for factor 1 (Loss of control and arousal) is 0.75, for factor 2 (Negative emotions) - 0.77 and for factor 3 (Feeling of threat) - 0.68. A strong positive correlation between distress and severity of symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (r = 0.70, p < 0.01) was shown. Additionally, distress strongly and positively correlated with the various symptoms of PTSD: intrusion, arousal and avoidance. Polish version of the PDI is a relevant and reliable distress assessment tool.
Highlights
Emergency medical service (EMS) is dedicated to providing out-of-hospital acute medical care
In 1980, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) identified Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as a separate disorder and added it into the third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III), and it is present in the subsequent editions of DSM [5]
It is characterized by the following symptoms: intrusion, avoidance and hyperarousal [4]
Summary
Emergency medical service (EMS) is dedicated to providing out-of-hospital acute medical care. The World Health Organization (WHO) coded PTSD into the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) as F43.1 [6] It can develop in people who have experienced a traumatic event, e.g., car accidents, sudden disability, rape, death of a close person, serious illness, deprivation of liberty. The more emotionally a person is involved in an event, the greater the likelihood of PTSD It is characterized by the following symptoms: intrusion (manifested in re-experiencing a traumatic event in the form of dreams or memories), avoidance (of feelings, conversations, stimuli or activities related to the experienced event) and hyperarousal (difficulties with concentration and with falling asleep, general irritability, strong emotional reactions in the case of sudden stimuli, a constant feeling that danger or disaster is nearby) [4]
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