Prevalence of Symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in German Professional Firefighters

Abstract

The high prevalence of PTSD and other psychiatric impairments in firefighters indicates that they often fail to cope with primary and particularly secondary stress in their daily work. This problem, together with the individual psychological consequences and expenses related to work absenteeism and early retirement, seems to be very specific for the profession of firefighters. The present findings provide a better understanding of the relationship between secondary traumatic stress and PTSD in professional helpers and high-risk populations such as firefighters, emergency workers, and the police.