ABSTRACT
Objective: Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) are at risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result of seeing painful events involving suspected COVID-19 patients and being concerned about potentially infecting themselves and their families. Therefore, screening for these disorders is essential in the post-Corona era. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of PTSD among EMTs and its relationship with occupational stress and depression when dealing with patients with suspected COVID-19. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on EMTs at Zanjan University of Medical Sciences using a convenience sampling method. Data were collected using a demographic information questionnaire, PTSD checklist, occupational stress questionnaire, and the Goldberg depression scale. The data were analyzed using SPSS software. Statistical tests such as Pearson correlation and logistic regression analysis were used to evaluate the data. Result: 205 EMTs participated in this cross-sectional study. The mean and standard deviation of PTSD was 37.13±12.93 (17-85), and according to the cut-off (45), the prevalence of PTSD was 30.7%. There was a direct and significant association between the total PTSD and depression scores (r=0.435, p=0.001). Some occupational stress domains, such as demand (r=0.306, p=0.001), colleague support (r=0.149, p=0.033), and communication (r=0.293, p=0.001) had a significant association with PTSD. The domains of sadness in depression (OR=1.074, p=0.027) and demands in occupational stress (OR=1.872, p=0.029) were the most important predictors of PTSD. Among demographic variables, employment status was the most important protective factor for PTSD (OR=0.378, p=0.038). Conclusion: PTSD affected one-third of EMTs, and it had a significant relationship with various dimensions of depression and occupational stress. Due to the chronic nature of these diseases, policymakers are advised to prioritize psychological screening of EMTs as part of the post-Corona policy.
