Posttraumatic stress reactions in volunteer firefighters

Volunteer firefighters in NSW were surveyed for experiences of posttraumatic stress. Firefighters were asked to describe their experiences of stress and indices were obtained of psychological disturbance. Findings indicated that most firefighters felt that their safety had been threatened. One-quarter of firefighters indicated that they experienced significant levels of posttraumatic stress, although many respondents attributed their stress to personal events. Posttraumatic stress was associated with multiple and recent critical incidents. Findings are discussed in terms of etiological factors of posttraumatic stress and the need for appropriate intervention.