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PTSD And Quality of Life Among Firefighters and Municipal Police Forces

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 March 2020

C. Lima*
Affiliation:
Portuguese Red Cross, Vila Nova de Gaia, psychology, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
Â. Maia
Affiliation:
University of Minho, department of applied psychology, Braga, Portugal
R. Ferreira
Affiliation:
Portuguese Red Cross, Vila Nova de Gaia, psychology, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
A. Magalhães
Affiliation:
Portuguese Red Cross, Vila Nova de Gaia, psychology, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
H. Nunes
Affiliation:
Portuguese Red Cross, Vila Nova de Gaia, psychology, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
S. Pinheiro
Affiliation:
Portuguese Red Cross, Vila Nova de Gaia, psychology, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
L. Ribeiro
Affiliation:
Portuguese Red Cross, Vila Nova de Gaia, psychology, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
C. Rodrigues
Affiliation:
Portuguese Red Cross, Vila Nova de Gaia, psychology, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
P. Santos
Affiliation:
Portuguese Red Cross, Vila Nova de Gaia, psychology, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
V. Santos
Affiliation:
Portuguese Red Cross, Vila Nova de Gaia, psychology, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
R. Teles
Affiliation:
Portuguese Red Cross, Vila Nova de Gaia, psychology, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
*
* Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Research has shown that PTSD is prevalent among firefighters and police forces and that Quality of Life (QoL) is seriously compromised in individuals suffering from PTSD. However, QoL studies with these professionals are scarce. This study results from a screening program held by the Portuguese Red Cross (PRC) aiming to analyze predictors of QoL. Participants were 95 firefighters and municipal police officers. They answered the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL-5) in order to evaluate the prevalence of PTSD symptoms, as well as measures of social support (3-Item Oslo Social Support Scale) and QoL (EUROHIS-QOL-8). From the results, there were no group differences regarding total PTSD, social support or QoL and 10% of participants reported enough symptoms to PTSD diagnostic. Social Support and PTSD explained 25% of QoL variance, PTSD symptoms explaining 10% (negative beta) and, in the second step, social support explained 15%. The results suggest that it would be important to include QoL as an outcome measure in clinical and research work in these populations, with special attention to PTSD and social support.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Type
EV910
Copyright
Copyright © European Psychiatric Association 2016
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