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HOME > Ann Occup Environ Med > Volume 20(3); 2008 > Article
Original Article Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms and Related Factors in Firefighters of a Firestation
Soon Chan Kwon, Jaechul Song, Soo Jin Lee, Inah Kim, Jaewoo Koh, Hyunchul Ryou, Seok Hyun Kim, Daeho Kim, Seung Ah Jung
Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (대한직업환경의학회지) 2008;20(3):193.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/kjoem.2008.20.3.193
Published online: September 30, 2008
1Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Korea. jsong@hanyang.ac.kr
2Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Korea.
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Abstract

OBJECTIVES
To investigate the factors related with posttraumatic symptoms and to estimate the prevalence of posttraumatic disorder of urban male firefighters.
METHODS
From a study sample comprising 260 male firefighters from one fire station, the responses from 146 who had experienced one or more traumatic events, responded to the 'Impact of Event Scale-Revised Korean version' (IES-R-K) and didn't show any evidence of depression were analyzed. We surveyed the firefighters using a self-administered questionnaire including general characteristics, job-related characteristics, IES-R-K, and a 'Firefighters and paramedics' incident stressor'.
RESULTS
The mean value of IES-R-K in this study was 11.3 and it was higher in the married firefighters than in the unmarried firefighters (p=0.005) and in the 24-hr shift workers than in the ordinary day shift workers (p=0.032). The frequency of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) of the firefighters in this study using IES-R-K was 13.7%, with a cutoff point of 24/25. The overall number of experiences of 25 traumatic events was larger in emergency medical personnel and rescue workers than in other work functions (p=0.000).
CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of PTSD symptoms in firefighters was estimated to 13.7% using IES-RK and was higher than the prevalence of PTSD in the general population. A program to manage the mental health and provide early detection for mental illness for firefighters is needed.

Ann Occup Environ Med : Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
© Korean Society of Occupational & Environmental Medicine.
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