The relationship between post traumatic stress disorder and work-related psychological trauma in emergency service personnel involved in a critical incident

This research focuses on the relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder and work related psychological trauma in emergency service personnel involved in a critical incident. Do emergency service personnel exhibit symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder after they are involved in search and recovery following a critical incident?; A review of the literature shows that posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms are evident in emergency service personnel that are exposed to critical incident involvement. Organizations should be aware of the psychological implications of critical incident exposure on its emergency service personnel.; For the purpose of this study, data was collected from an experimental group and a control group. The experimental group consists of thirty firefighters that were involved in search and recovery following the 1995 Oklahoma City Bombing and a control group consisting of twenty-eight firefighters that were not involved in search and recovery following the 1995 Oklahoma City Bombing. Data was obtained by a research questionnaire based on the American Psychiatric Association's posttraumatic stress disorder criteria listed in the DSM IV.; The variables in the survey utilized statistical analysis involving t test and frequency data. The analysis concludes that there is a significant correlation between posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and firefighters (emergency service personnel) involved in search and recovery following the 1995 Oklahoma City Bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Building.