Defense Date

3-17-2014

Graduation Date

Spring 2014

Availability

Immediate Access

Submission Type

thesis

Degree Name

MSEd

Department

Counselor Education and Supervision (ExCES)

School

School of Education

Committee Chair

David Delmonico

Committee Member

William Casile

Committee Member

Maura Krushinski

Keywords

Emergency Medical, first responders, PCL, PTSD, trauma exposure

Abstract

This study focuses on the prevalence and severity of post-traumatic stress symptoms in Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel. Summative PTSD Checklist (PCL-C) scores were collected and analyzed from 102 active, adult EMS professionals working in Pennsylvania. Data analysis shows EMS professionals are experiencing severe post-traumatic stress symptoms at a higher rate than the general public. The severity and prevalence of EMS post-traumatic stress symptoms are comparable to those of American veterans returning from active combat zones in Iraq. Based on the results, several suggestions are proposed regarding how to effectively minimize the experience of post-traumatic stress symptoms in EMS professionals.

Format

PDF

Language

English

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