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Secondary Traumatization, Psychological Stress, and Resilience in Psychosocial Emergency Care Personnel

Author

Listed:
  • Anja Greinacher

    (Department of General Internal Medicine and Psychosomatics, University Hospital Heidelberg, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany)

  • Alexander Nikendei

    (Department of General Internal Medicine and Psychosomatics, University Hospital Heidelberg, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany
    German Red Cross, Rescue Service Bodensee-Oberschwaben, 88520 Ravensburg, Germany)

  • Renate Kottke

    (German Red Cross, Baden-Wuerttemberg Regional Association, 70372 Stuttgart, Germany)

  • Jürgen Wiesbeck

    (German Red Cross, Baden-Wuerttemberg Regional Association, 70372 Stuttgart, Germany)

  • Wolfgang Herzog

    (Department of General Internal Medicine and Psychosomatics, University Hospital Heidelberg, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany)

  • Christoph Nikendei

    (German Red Cross, Rescue Service Bodensee-Oberschwaben, 88520 Ravensburg, Germany)

Abstract

Volunteers active in psychosocial emergency care offer psychological first aid to survivors of accidents and trauma, their relatives, eye witnesses, bystanders, and other first responders. So far, there are no studies that investigate the secondary and primary traumatization of this group of first responders. We included N = 75 volunteers, who filled out questionnaires to assess their secondary (QST/FST) and primary traumatization (PDS), and levels of comorbid psychological stress (PHQ-9, GAD-7, SF-12). We investigated factors of resilience by measuring attachment behavior (ECR-RD, RQ-2), level of personality functioning (OPD-SFK), sense of coherence (SOC-29), social support (F-SozU), and mindfulness (MAAS). The volunteers’ levels of secondary and primary traumatization were below cut-off scores. Their levels of comorbid psychological stress were comparable to representative norm samples. Additionally, the volunteers presented high levels of resilience. Gender (β = 0.26; p < 0.05), case discussions (β = −0.37; p < 0.05), and social support (β = 0.45; p < 0.01) were revealed to be predictors of secondary traumatization, while mindfulness turned out to be a predictor of primary traumatization (β = −0.34; p = 0.008). However, we cannot rule out that the low prevalence of traumatization and comorbid psychological stress in our study sample might not be explained by a positive response bias.

Suggested Citation

  • Anja Greinacher & Alexander Nikendei & Renate Kottke & Jürgen Wiesbeck & Wolfgang Herzog & Christoph Nikendei, 2019. "Secondary Traumatization, Psychological Stress, and Resilience in Psychosocial Emergency Care Personnel," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(17), pages 1-14, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:16:y:2019:i:17:p:3213-:d:263508
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Rita Roncone & Laura Giusti & Silvia Mammarella & Anna Salza & Valeria Bianchini & Annalina Lombardi & Massimo Prosperococco & Elio Ursini & Valentina Scaletta & Massimo Casacchia, 2021. "“Hang in There!”: Mental Health in a Sample of the Italian Civil Protection Volunteers during the COVID-19 Health Emergency," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(16), pages 1-19, August.
    2. Kacper Łoś & Jacek Chmielewski & Włodzimierz Łuczyński, 2020. "Relationship between Executive Functions, Mindfulness, Stress, and Performance in Pediatric Emergency Simulations," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(6), pages 1-10, March.
    3. Beata Dziedzic & Ewa Kobos & Zofia Sienkiewicz & Anna Idzik, 2022. "Mental Health of Nurses during the Fourth Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Poland," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-12, February.

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