Predicting symptomatic distress in emergency services personnel.

TLDR

The study aimed to identify predictors of symptomatic distress among EMS personnel exposed to traumatic incidents. The authors replicated the study in two groups—154 EMS workers from the 1989 San Francisco Bay earthquake collapse and 213 counterparts from the Bay area and San Diego—assessing predictors such as exposure level, social support, and psychological traits. The analyses revealed that symptomatic distress correlated with exposure severity and adjustment, and that even after controlling for exposure, adjustment, social support, experience, and locus of control, two dissociative variables remained strong predictors, reinforcing the link between dissociative tendencies and trauma‑related distress.

Abstract

This study identified predictors of symptomatic distress in emergency services (EMS) personnel exposed to traumatic critical incidents. A replication was performed in 2 groups: 154 EMS workers involved in the 1989 Interstate 880 freeway collapse during the San Francisco Bay area earthquake, and 213 counterparts from the Bay area and from San Diego. Evaluated predictors included exposure, social support, and psychological traits. Replicated analyses showed that levels of symptomatic distress were positively related to the degree of exposure to the critical incident. Level of adjustment was also related to symptomatic distress. After exposure, adjustment, social support, years of experience on the job, and locus of control were controlled, 2 dissociative variables remained strongly predictive of symptomatic response. The study strengthens the literature linking dissociative tendencies and experiences to distress from exposure to traumatic stressors.