Prevalence of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder among all Emergency Workers at Saudi Tertiary Care Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Aims: Our objective for this study is to assess post traumatic stress disorder and its severity point prevalence among all emergency department workers. Study Design: A cross-sectional model is most appropriate for this study’s aims, objectives and time frame. Place and Duration of Study: This study took place at the emergency department of King AbdulAziz Medical City (KAMC) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between December 2021 and November 2022. Methodology: Our study concluded 202 emergency department workers (94 men, 108 women: age range 24-60). A self-administered questionnaire consisting of two parts was distributed. The first part was demographic variables. The second part was the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 - Civilian Version (PCL-5). Results: From our 202 ER employees, 26.7% met the criteria for PSTD. Using logistic regression, we found a relation between PTSD and verbal or physical abuse with a P value of 0.004. we also observed a significant P value of 0.018 between the age groups, indicating the younger population of our study were more prone to develop PTSD. Conclusion: There is a concerning high prevalence of self-reported post-traumatic stress disorder among the emergency medicine department workers, including an increased number of employees having been a victim of physical assault or verbal abuse. It is crucial at the organizational level to prioritize prevention of workplace violence.