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The Prevalence of Post-Traumatic Growth in Emergency Ambulance Personnel

Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety-Queensland (CARRS-Q) School of Psychology and Counselling, QUT, Beams Road, Carseldine, Qld, 4034, Australia, j.Shakespeare-finch{at}qut.edu.au

S. G. Smith

K. M. Gow

School of Psychology and Counselling QUT, Beams Road, Carseldine, Qld, 4034, Australia, Gow_Kathryn{at}hotmail.com

G. Embelton

L. Baird

Departing from a deprivation approach to the study of trauma, a small body of literature has recently emerged that examines positive, rather than negative, post-trauma changes. Studies to date have focused on individuals’ positive reactions to a personally endured traumatic event for example, as bereaved parents, living with HIV/AIDS, or surviving cancer. Negative symptoms following a traumatic event that is experienced during the course of fulfilling professional obligations (e.g., in ambulance, fire and police services), are reported to be akin to the negative post-trauma symptoms found in direct survivors of a traumatic event. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of self-reported positive changes (posttraumatic growth) in emergency ambulance personnel, a population that are readily exposed to potentially traumatic incidents. Results indicated that a large proportion of both seasoned ambulance personnel and new recruits to the service, perceived positive changes in themselves that they attributed to having experienced a traumatic event at work. A significant mean difference was also detected between personnel who had endured a personal trauma in addition to a work-related trauma (n = 281) and personnel who had endured trauma only in the course of their employment responsibilities (n = 217). The study supports theoretical and clinical expectations that the experience of occupational trauma can act as a catalyst for significant positive post-trauma changes.

Traumatology, Vol. 9, No. 1, 58-71 (2003)
DOI: 10.1177/153476560300900104


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