Symptoms of PTSD according to individual and work environment characteristics of Korean railroad drivers with experience of person-under-train accidents.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study is to collect basic data on the prevalence pattern of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in Korean railroad drivers exposed to person-under-train accidents according to the individual and working environmental characteristics.


METHODS
Questionnaires were sent to all the railroad drivers accompanying active service now by company post. A total of 639 of the 800 questionnaires sent out were returned, showing a response rate of 79.9%. The Impact of Event Scale was utilized to address psychological status of railroad drivers after exposure to person-under-train accident.


RESULTS
Score of PTSD, intrusion, and avoidance ranged from 9.6 to 13.2, from 4.2 to 6.1, and from 5.4 to 7.2 according to individual characteristics and ranged from 11.44 to 12.70, from 5.03 to 5.67, and from 6.41 to 7.04 according to working environmental characteristics, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrated that Korean railroad drivers who experienced person-under-train accident expressed adverse symptoms physically and psychologically more than those who did not experience it. Apart from effect of train driver's age, a wide range of individual and working environmental factors appear to have no association with the level of posttraumatic distress following a person-under-train accident.
Yum
Byeong Su
BS
Institute for Occupational Health, College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Roh
Jae Hoon
JH
Ryu
Jae Chun
JC
Won
Jong Uk
JU
Kim
Chi Nyon
CN
Lee
Jung Eun
JE
Kim
Ki Youn
KY
D000059:Accidents / Q000523:psychology*; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011890:Railroads; D012931:Social Environment; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017132:Workplace; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000523:psychology*