Determinants of traumatic stress symptoms in firefighters

Firefighters are at high risk of experiencing mental disorders like other first responders. Although the studies on the prevalence of mental health problems in firefighters are common in the literature, it is seen that there are limited studies on the causes of these problems. This study aimed to investigate the risk of depression and traumatic stress symptoms among firefighters working in Turkey. In addition, it was aimed to investigate the variables before and during the event that predicted the traumatic stress symptoms. For this purpose, data were collected from the 468 firefighters working in the fire department of 35 provinces that agreed to participate in the study by using the Behavior, Safety, and Culture-First Responders, Patient Health Questionnaire-2, and Impact of Events Scale. It was seen that approximately half of the firefighters met the diagnosis of possible post-traumatic stress disorder, and approximately one fifth had a risk of depression. It was observed that the level of distress experienced during the event was the variable that explained the higher variance in the level of traumatic stress symptoms. Findings indicate that firefighters should have access to the psychological support system. Thus, it may be possible to prevent the continuation of mental problems and decrease in the quality of life.