title: The effects of direct versus witnessed threat on emergency department healthcare workers: implications for PTSD criterion A.
abstract: We compared post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity and symptom cluster profiles in hospital emergency department (ED) medical staff (N=100) who experienced an emotionally distressing work event that presented either a direct threat to themselves or a witnessed threat to patients. The two groups displayed similar levels of PTSD symptoms, however, they differed on symptom profiles and work consequences. The direct threat group experienced significantly greater fear during the event, more ongoing arousal symptoms, and more job dissatisfaction than the witnessed threat group. The witnessed threat group was more likely to appraise their PTSD symptoms as reflecting personal weakness. Overall, the results point to the need for further research to identify distinctive features of responses to different types of traumatic stressors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C. V6T 1Z4, Canada. lalden@psych.ubc.ca
authors.forename: Lynn E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Alden
authors.forename: Marci J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Regambal
authors.forename: Judith M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Laposa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000488:Allied Health Personnel / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003071:Cognition; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005239:Fear / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010564:Personnel, Hospital / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires