Mediating Role of Stress at Work in the Relationship of Alexithymia and PTSD among Emergency Call Operators

Małgorzata Wojciechowska, Aleksandra Jasielska, Michał Ziarko, Michał Sieński and Maciej Różewicki
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Małgorzata Wojciechowska: Department of Mother and Child Health, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 33 Polna Street, 60-535 Poznan, Poland
Aleksandra Jasielska: Faculty of Psychology and Cognitive Science, Adam Mickiewicz University, 89AB Szamarzewskiego Street, 60-568 Poznan, Poland
Michał Ziarko: Faculty of Psychology and Cognitive Science, Adam Mickiewicz University, 89AB Szamarzewskiego Street, 60-568 Poznan, Poland
Michał Sieński: Faculty of Psychology and Cognitive Science, Adam Mickiewicz University, 89AB Szamarzewskiego Street, 60-568 Poznan, Poland
Maciej Różewicki: Emergency Notification Centre, 13a Wiśniowa Street, 61-477 Poznan, Poland

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 23, 1-11

Abstract: Aim: The main purpose of this research was to investigate the relationship between alexithymia, stress at work, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in impact emergency call center operators working in Poland (province of Greater Poland). The risk of exposure to critical life events was also considered. Methods: Data were collected using self-report questionnaires administered after dispatchers’ shifts. The emergency call center operators (N = 66) completed the Impact of Event Scale—Revised, 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale, Workplace Perceived Stress Questionnaire, and a questionnaire measuring the frequency and intensity of potentially traumatic events faced by emergency operators (a questionnaire developed by the authors). Results: Twenty of the most frequent events (e.g., child sexual harassment, rape, etc.) were identified. Results indicated that post-traumatic stress positively correlated with (a) work-related stress and (b) one aspect of alexithymia: difficulty expressing feelings. Additionally, work-related stress was identified as a mediator for the relation between alexithymia and the intensity of post-traumatic stress. Conclusions: The results of this study confirm that emergency operators are a high-risk group for the development of PTSD. The study results suggest that performing the work of an emergency dispatcher is not only demanding but also inherently involves participation in potentially traumatic events (as encountered through emergency calls).

Keywords: emergency call center dispatchers; stress at work; alexithymia; PTSD (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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