Mental Health Correlates of Probable Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Probable Alcohol Use Disorder, and Their Co-Occurrence among Firefighters. Issue 2 (March 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zegel, Maya; Lebeaut, Antoine; Healy, Nathaniel; Tran, Jana K.; Vujanovic, Anka A.
• Other Names: Van Hasselt Vincent B. guest-editor.; Bourke Michael L. guest-editor.; Schuhmann Bailee B. guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: Behavior modification. Volume 46:Issue 2(2022)
• Page Start: 395
• Page End: 421
• Publication Date: 2022-03
• Subjects: firefighters -- posttraumatic stress disorder -- trauma -- PTSD -- alcohol use -- depression -- sleep -- suicide -- anger -- occupational stress; Behavior modification -- Periodicals; Behavior therapy -- Periodicals; 153.85
• DOI: 10.1177/01454455211033517
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0145-4455

Abstract

Firefighters demonstrate high rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD). Research has yet to compare how these diagnoses and their co-occurrence relate to firefighter mental health. This study evaluated trauma load, PTSD, alcohol use, depression, sleep, suicide risk, anger, and occupational stress across four discrete groups of firefighters ( N = 660): (1) trauma-exposed only ( n = 471), (2) probable PTSD-only ( n = 36), (3) probable AUD-only ( n = 125), and (4) probable PTSD-AUD ( n = 28). Firefighters completed an online survey. Firefighters with probable PTSD-AUD demonstrated higher scores on all criterion variables, except trauma load, compared to firefighters with probable AUD-only or trauma-only. Firefighters with probable PTSD-AUD and probable PTSD-only reported similar levels of all indices, except alcohol use severity and suicide risk, which were higher among the probable PTSD-AUD group. Results provide preliminary empirical evidence of the deleterious impact of PTSD-AUD comorbidity among firefighters.