9 in 10 firefighters suffer PTSD

A new study out of New Ben-Gurion University in Israel shows that 9 in 10 firefighters showed symptoms of PTSD (24%) or partial PTSD (67%).

The study was conducted by Dr. Marc Lougassi, who is not just a doctoral student at the university but is also a firefighter himself. It examined 342 active Israeli firefighters who had been exposed to traumatic events since 1997. The study excluded any firefighters with histories of psychiatric treatment or chronic pain, as well as anyone who had suffered a head injury.

According to Dr. Lougassi, "Professional firefighters are frequently exposed to extreme stress during their work in emergency situations. In addition to the physical challenges of firefighting, they must evacuate burned and injured victims or bodies. Their involvement in traumatic events exposes them not only to the pressures stemming from the traumatic event itself, but also to post-traumatic emotional expressions that result in secondary traumatization."

In addition to "normal" firefighter duties, Lougassi said that firefighters in Israel are frequently "exposed to additional traumas such as war and terror strikes."

It is unclear if Lougassi's study was published in a scientific journal or if it was just announced by the university.

Read more:

Ninety Percent of Firefighters Exhibit Symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Northern Ireland has highest levels of PTSD worldwide

Decades of violence and strife have led the citizens of Northern Ireland to have the highest levels of PTSD in the world, according to a newly released study carried out by psychologists from University of Ulster and trauma treatment experts from Omagh. (Both the University of Ulster and the city of Omagh are in Northern Ireland.)

The study actually examines the economic cost of PTSD -- it's called "The Economic Impact of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in Northern Ireland" -- and it says that PTSD costs the country close to £175 million (about $275 million ) a year. That includes both direct costs (e.g., medical costs) and indirect costs such as productivity loss.

According to the research, 8.8% of the adults in Northern Ireland have met the criteria for PTSD at some point in their lifetimes. (Worldwide rates, in at least one previous study, have been cited at 7.8%.)

Read more:
University of Ulster press release, BBC, Belfast Telegraph

Study: Israeli Journalists Suffer from High PTSD Level

"A new study by Ben Gurion University shows that 52% of Israeli journalists who have covered terrorist attacks suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, to the extent that they need therapy. The figure for journalists is 5.5 times higher than it is for the general population, where post-traumatic stress affects 9.4% of the population."

I can't say as this surprises me, but the numbers are still shocking. I've met combat photographers who were permanently traumatized by their experiences. And many war correspondents find themselves in close proximity to combat or directly in danger.

Scary stuff.