BACKGROUND: Rescue service personnel are often exposed to traumatic events as part of their occupation, and higher prevalence rates of psychiatric illness have been found among this group. METHODS: In 65 rescue workers, salivary cortisol at 8 AM and 10 PM and serum prolactin at 8 AM were related to the psychiatric self-rating scale General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) measuring psychiatric health, and the Impact of Events Scale (IES) and Post Traumatic Symptom Scale (PTSS) measuring posttraumatic symptoms. RESULTS: Seventeen percent of the study population scored above the GHQ-28 cut-off limit but none scored beyond the cut-off limit in the IES and PTSS questionnaires. Salivary cortisol concentration at 10 PM correlated with statistical significance to anxiety (p < .005) and depressive symptoms (p < .01) measured with GHQ-28, as well as to posttraumatic symptoms, with avoidance behavior measured with IES (p < .01) and PTSS (p < .005). Two of the rescue workers were followed over time with the same sampling procedure after a major rescue commission. CONCLUSIONS: The correlation between evening salivary cortisol and anxiety, depressiveness, and posttraumatic avoidance symptoms indicates that these parameters can be used in screening and follow-up after traumatic stress events.
BACKGROUND: Rescue service personnel are often exposed to traumatic events as part of their occupation, and higher prevalence rates of psychiatric illness have been found among this group. METHODS: In 65 rescue workers, salivary cortisol at 8 AM and 10 PM and serum prolactin at 8 AM were related to the psychiatric self-rating scale General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) measuring psychiatric health, and the Impact of Events Scale (IES) and Post Traumatic Symptom Scale (PTSS) measuring posttraumatic symptoms. RESULTS: Seventeen percent of the study population scored above the GHQ-28 cut-off limit but none scored beyond the cut-off limit in the IES and PTSS questionnaires. Salivary cortisol concentration at 10 PM correlated with statistical significance to anxiety (p < .005) and depressive symptoms (p < .01) measured with GHQ-28, as well as to posttraumatic symptoms, with avoidance behavior measured with IES (p < .01) and PTSS (p < .005). Two of the rescue workers were followed over time with the same sampling procedure after a major rescue commission. CONCLUSIONS: The correlation between evening salivary cortisol and anxiety, depressiveness, and posttraumatic avoidance symptoms indicates that these parameters can be used in screening and follow-up after traumatic stress events.
Authors: Ase Marie Hansen; Anne Katrine Blangsted; Ernst Albin Hansen; Karen Søgaard; Gisela Sjøgaard Journal: Int Arch Occup Environ Health Date: 2009-08-11 Impact factor: 3.015
Authors: Kuldeep Dhama; Shyma K Latheef; Maryam Dadar; Hari Abdul Samad; Ashok Munjal; Rekha Khandia; Kumaragurubaran Karthik; Ruchi Tiwari; Mohd Iqbal Yatoo; Prakash Bhatt; Sandip Chakraborty; Karam Pal Singh; Hafiz M N Iqbal; Wanpen Chaicumpa; Sunil Kumar Joshi Journal: Front Mol Biosci Date: 2019-10-18
Authors: Jennifer A Horney; Gaston A Casillas; Erin Baker; Kahler W Stone; Katie R Kirsch; Krisa Camargo; Terry L Wade; Thomas J McDonald Journal: PLoS One Date: 2018-02-08 Impact factor: 3.240