Summary: A new study of trainee paramedics concludes those most likely to suffer from PTSD or major depression later in their carriers can be spotted during the first week of training.
Source: Oxford University.
Study offers new direction for preventative interventions to increase mental resilience to stress and trauma.
Researchers from the University of Oxford and King’s College London wanted to see if they could identify risk factors that made people more likely to suffer post-traumatic stress (PTSD) or major depression (MD) when working in emergency services.
Dr Jennifer Wild from the University of Oxford explained: ‘Emergency workers are regularly exposed to stressful and traumatic situations and some of them will experience periods of mental illness. Some of the factors that make that more likely can be changed through resilience training, reducing the risk of PTSD and depression. We wanted to test whether we could identify such risk factors, making it possible to spot people at higher risk early in their training and to develop interventions that target these risk factors to strengthen their resilience.’
The researchers followed a group of around 400 new ambulance staff through the first two years of their three-year training period. During the initial six-week classroom phase of the training, the students were given a number of assessments to establish their thinking styles, coping behaviour, psychiatric history and personality traits.
Follow up sessions were carried out every four months for the next two years to see if any of the participants had had PTSD or depression. After two years, a final assessment looked at quality of life, as well as smoking, alcohol and drug use, days off work, weight change, burnout and insomnia.
Professor Anke Ehlers said: ‘While just under one in five experienced PTSD or depression in the two years, most got better by the next four-month follow-up.
‘However, there were still lasting effects. Those who had reported mental ill health were more likely to have sleep problems at 2 years. They were also more likely to have days off work. Paramedics who developed an episode of PTSD were also more likely to report gaining weight and smoking.’
The team found that even accounting for past psychiatric history, people were more likely to experience PTSD and depression if they had lower perceived resilience to trauma, or if they dwelled on stressful events from the past before they started their training. Significantly, the number of traumatic incidents they experienced could not be used to predict PTSD but was relevant to predicting MD, suggesting a cumulative risk of different exposures to trauma for depression.
Dr Wild said: ‘This is not about screening out particular people in training. Early assessment means that those who are more at risk can be offered training to improve their resilience to stressful and traumatic experiences. That has the potential to reduce episodes of PTSD and major depression and improve the long term health of a valued and essential workforce.’
Funding: A Wellcome Trust funded study.
Source: Oxford University
Image Source: This NeuroscienceNews.com image is adapted from the Oxford University press release.
Original Research: Full open access research for “A prospective study of pre-trauma risk factors for post-traumatic stress disorder and depression” by J. Wild, K. V. Smith, E. Thompson, F. Béar, M. J. J. Lommen and A. Ehlers in Psychological Medicine. Published online June 28 2016 doi:10.1017/S0033291716000532
[cbtabs][cbtab title=”MLA”]Oxford University. “Early Screening Spots Emergency Workers at Greater Risk of Mental Illness.” NeuroscienceNews. NeuroscienceNews, 28 June 2016.
<https://neurosciencenews.com/ptsd-emergency-workers-4589/>.[/cbtab][cbtab title=”Oxford University”]Oxford University. (2016, June 28). Early Screening Spots Emergency Workers at Greater Risk of Mental Illness. NeuroscienceNews. Retrieved June 28, 2016 from https://neurosciencenews.com/ptsd-emergency-workers-4589/[/cbtab][cbtab title=”Chicago”]Oxford University. “Early Screening Spots Emergency Workers at Greater Risk of Mental Illness.” https://neurosciencenews.com/ptsd-emergency-workers-4589/ (accessed June 28, 2016).[/cbtab][/cbtabs]
Abstract
A prospective study of pre-trauma risk factors for post-traumatic stress disorder and depression
Background It is unclear which potentially modifiable risk factors best predict post-trauma psychiatric disorders. We aimed to identify pre-trauma risk factors for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or major depression (MD) that could be targeted with resilience interventions.
Method Newly recruited paramedics (n = 453) were assessed for history of mental disorders with structured clinical interviews within the first week of their paramedic training and completed self-report measures to assess hypothesized predictors. Participants were assessed every 4 months for 2 years to identify any episodes of PTSD and MD; 386 paramedics (85.2%) participated in the follow-up interviews.
Results In all, 32 participants (8.3%) developed an episode of PTSD and 41 (10.6%) an episode of MD during follow-up. In all but nine cases (2.3%), episodes had remitted by the next assessment 4 months later. At 2 years, those with episodes of PTSD or MD during follow-up reported more days off work, poorer sleep, poorer quality of life, greater burn-out; and greater weight-gain for those with PTSD. In line with theories of PTSD and depression, analyses controlling for psychiatric and trauma history identified several pre-trauma predictors (cognitive styles, coping styles and psychological traits). Logistic regressions showed that rumination about memories of stressful events at the start of training uniquely predicted an episode of PTSD. Perceived resilience uniquely predicted an episode of MD.
Conclusions Participants at risk of developing episodes of PTSD or depression could be identified within the first week of paramedic training. Cognitive predictors of episodes of PTSD and MD are promising targets for resilience interventions.
“A prospective study of pre-trauma risk factors for post-traumatic stress disorder and depression” by J. Wild, K. V. Smith, E. Thompson, F. Béar, M. J. J. Lommen and A. Ehlers in Psychological Medicine. Published online June 28 2016 doi:10.1017/S0033291716000532
