Dynamic Psychotherapy as a PTSD Treatment for Firefighters: A Case Study

Becker, Joana Proença; Paixão, Rui; Quartilho, Manuel João

doi:10.3390/healthcare10030530

Cited by 4 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…In line with the above results, in our study, paranoid ideation and hostility subscales predicted the most variance of PCL-5 scores. Interestingly, these results are in line with the case study analyzed in Becker et al's ( 2022 ) study as the two Portuguese firefighters studied (male and female, volunteer and career firefighters, respectively) scored higher in those two dimensions of the BSI at baseline. Furthermore, as cited by Sindhu et al ( 2020 ), in 1990, Mitchell evidenced 12 characteristics of personality among emergency service workers (including firefighters) that can contribute to cumulative stress, for example, a need to be in control, obsessive perfectionism, and other compulsive behaviors.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

“…When comparing findings of PTSD prevalence, one should take notice of the instruments and procedures used as much heterogeneity is found between studies regarding their methodology, leading to inconsistent prevalence rates (Becker et al, 2022 ). These differences could bias results and lead to incongruences between findings, thus misrepresenting the true prevalence of PTSD in firefighters.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Mental health and post-traumatic stress disorder in firefighters: an integrated analysis from an action research study

Oliveira,

Aires Dias,

Duarte

et al. 2023

Front. Psychol.

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IntroductionThe presence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology in firefighters is an ever-pressing issue that requires close attention for adequate interventions. The present study investigated PTSD and global psychopathology prevalence in a sample of highly risk-exposed Portuguese firefighters, collected after the widespread deadly wildfires in 2017 that ravaged the country. Following an action research approach, the aim of this study was to depict this sample and examine the impact of cumulative adverse experiences on their mental health, which is a phenomenon worth attention.MethodFrom an initial sample of 283 firefighters who manifested interest in participating, a total of 139 firefighters from the Coimbra District, of whom 130 unequivocally experienced a potentially traumatic/adverse event as a firefighter, completed BSI (to obtain indicators on psychopathology), QEPAT (an inventory of adverse events possibly experienced as a firefighter), and PCL-5 (a measure of PTSD symptomatology) through an online survey during the year 2018 by the Regional Medical Organization, as proposed and supervised by the local Centre for Prevention and Treatment of Psychological Trauma (CPTTP).ResultsWe found a global prevalence of 8.6% of possible PTSD and 14.4% of possible psychopathology (n = 139). When considering only firefighters who unequivocally reported a potentially traumatic/adverse event as a firefighter (n = 130), 9.2% present possible PTSD, and 13.8% present possible global psychopathology. This sample experienced a mean of 28 adverse events during firefighting work. Linear regressions (n = 118) demonstrated that the perceived severity of the most traumatic event reported and the experience of more adverse events were both related to an increase in PTSD symptomatology. Global psychopathology was associated with PCL-5 scores, with an emphasis on paranoid ideation, hostility, depression, anxiety, and phobic anxiety.DiscussionThe severe wildfires of 2017 did not impact PTSD scores in this sample (collected the year after), suggesting that cumulative adverse events are more important than particular episodes. However, the number of reported events was related to PTSD scores. These results can be used to develop interventions that target all firefighters by addressing risk and protective factors. This action research study motivated specialized aid for firefighters involved in this study.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mental health and post-traumatic stress disorder in firefighters: an integrated analysis from an action research study

Oliveira,

Aires Dias,

Duarte

et al. 2023

Front. Psychol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Firefighting is a stressful occupation that exposes individuals to occupational stressors, poor sleep, and extreme and tragic events. They face situations that require quick reactions and precise communication, in addition to performing strenuous physical tasks (e.g., running, carrying heavy loads and dragging victims to safety) in challenging and unpredictable conditions [10,[23][24][25][26][27].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This instrument, which is a 3-point Likert scale, assesses the presence and severity of somatic symptoms. Total symptom severity score is obtained by summing the score for each of the 15 items, and range from 0 to 30, with severity classified as no-minimum (0-4); low (5-9); medium (10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15) and high (15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30). PHQ-15 is considered reliable and valid for general and clinical populations (Cronbach's α = 0.80) [15,16].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Posttraumatic Stress and Somatic Symptoms in Firefighters: A Mediation Analysis of the Impact of Potentially Traumatic Events

Becker,

Paixão,

Correia-Santos

et al. 2023

Societies

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Firefighters are considered a high-risk group for developing stress-related psychopathologies, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), due to repeated exposure to potentially traumatic events (PTE). Studies have indicated that PTE is also associated with the development of Somatic Symptom Disorder (SSD). However, the occurrence of this condition among firefighters is an underexplored topic. This study aimed to assess the relationships between PTE and PTSD symptoms, and the relationship between PTE and SSD symptoms. Furthermore, we aimed to assess the role of SSD in the relationship between PTE and PTSD within Portuguese firefighters who battled the 2017 violent forest fires. To this end, a sample of 116 firefighters (75% male) completed self-report measures of posttraumatic symptoms, somatic symptoms, and other psychopathological symptoms. Contrary to several literature, in the present study, neither PTSD nor SSD symptoms seem to be correlated with any sociodemographic characteristics. However, the exposure to PTE is positively correlated with both PTSD and SSD symptoms. Furthermore, SSD seems to act as a mediator in the relationship between PTE and PTSD.

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“…Globally, such disasters occur every day and, due to climate change, hundreds of millions of people are affected every year. In Portugal, forest fires are responsible for disasters that tend to recur annually, leading to dramatic consequences, such as those that occurred in 2017, with the destruction of hundreds of houses and the death of tens of people (Becker et al, 2022;Leone et al, 2023). 2007 was another black page in the history of our country.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of the 2021 Fire in the Municipality of Ancient Olympia in Greece on the Mental Health of Residents

Mentis,

Mavroeidi,

Bousia

et al. 2024

Adv. J Social Sci.

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A natural disaster is the probability of a potentially catastrophic event occurring over a period of time in a specific geographical area. The aim of this research was to investigate whether the catastrophic fire of 2021 affected the mental health, in terms of post-traumatic stress and depression, of the social care services beneficiaries in the Municipality of Ancient Olympia in Greece. A questionnaire was used which, apart from demographic questions, contained two main tools: a) the PCL Scale (a tool for assessing post-traumatic stress), b) the Geriatric Depression Scale. The individuals with post-traumatic stress in the sample are in the range of moderate to high PTSD symptomatology. The majority of the participants are in the range of moderate PTSD symptomatology, but there is also a significant percentage who are in the range of high PTSD symptomatology. In terms of geriatric depression, the individuals in the sample are close to the mean. This article was written to serve as reference for the PTSD that can be directly caused by natural disasters.

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Dynamic Psychotherapy as a PTSD Treatment for Firefighters: A Case Study

Cited by 4 publications

References 37 publications

Mental health and post-traumatic stress disorder in firefighters: an integrated analysis from an action research study

Mental health and post-traumatic stress disorder in firefighters: an integrated analysis from an action research study

Posttraumatic Stress and Somatic Symptoms in Firefighters: A Mediation Analysis of the Impact of Potentially Traumatic Events

Impact of the 2021 Fire in the Municipality of Ancient Olympia in Greece on the Mental Health of Residents

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