PTSD To EMS Workers Essay

EMS workers are especially inclined to be subject to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Exposure to stressful situations, for which they have little or no training on how to deal with emotional stress, place these workers at a very high risk for chronic stress, critical incident stress, and PTSD. This connection will be further examined by relating PTSD to EMS workers, coping with PTSD, and resources which should be made in place, but are not yet generally available to most workers.
Relating PTSD to EMS
“EMS workers are subject to frequent exposure to stressful situations, such as abuse cases, assaults, motor vehicle crashes, deaths, etc. All of this places providers, who otherwise have no training on how to personally deal with emotional
And some researchers suggest that PTSD rates can be as high as 37% in EMS workers, while that of the general public is around 3.6%. (EMSWorld, 10/1/12, Kevin T. Collopy, Are You Under Stress In EMS, http://www.emsworld.com/article/10776875/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-in-prehospital-providers)
Coping With PTSD
It is crucial for EMS staff to work together to find coping strategies. The best strategy is to discuss work with coworkers. Other coping strategies are having adequate time off duty with family and friends, use of available mental health services, exercise, diet changes, and meditation. Finally, taking the time to grieve or cry if needed can be better than hiding feelings. (EMSWorld, 10/1/12, Kevin T. Collopy, Are You Under Stress In EMS, http://www.emsworld.com/article/10776875/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-in-prehospital-providers)
Resources - How Can We
It is common for only one or two sessions to be offered without the benefit of long term counseling. Another issue that should be addressed is for the EMS provider to receive worker’s compensation or short term disability while being treated. While these disabilities may not be seen like a physical injury, they are very real. This mistaken belief must change.
Another solution is for the company to be more proactive instead of reactive, in effect stopping problems before they start or mitigating the impact. One example is the “First Response Resiliency” program. In short, the program teaches ongoing classes that provide strategies to help the first responder “bounce back” even before the event transpires. Coupled with a strong social support system, this program is showing signs of success.
The early results are showing substantial improvement in before and after testing situations to determine signs of significant stress which may lead to PTSD. In the initial testing, only one responder did not report a drastic improvement in their coping skills after six