Citation

Jeffrey H, Yamagishi H. Eur. J. Psychotraumatol. 2024; 15(1): e2351323.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2024, The Author(s), Publisher Co-action Publishing)

DOI

10.1080/20008066.2024.2351323

PMID

38753619

Abstract

BACKGROUND: There has been growing concern regarding increasing levels of post-traumatic stress (PTS) symptoms experienced by healthcare workers (HCW) in the UK, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVES: PTS symptom typologies have been investigated in other adult populations using person-centred latent variable approaches, revealing profiles showing differing symptom levels and patterns. We aimed to explore typologies among clinical and non-clinical healthcare staff to elucidate heterogeneity of presentation.  Methods: This was a retrospective study using referral data from treatment-seeking healthcare staff in the North of England (N = 1600). We employed latent profile analysis using the PTSD International Trauma Questionnaire domains as profile indicators. We included covariates relating to role-type, depression, anxiety and mental health concerns before March of 2020.   Results: A model with six profiles fit the data best. Profile names were given as follows: 'No symptom'; 'Low symptom'; 'Low symptom (moderate Sense of current threat (Th_dx) and Functional impairment (FI))'; 'Moderate symptom (low Th_dx and high Avoidance (Av_dx))'; 'Moderate symptom'; and 'High symptom'. Covariates were shown to have differential predictive power on profile membership. Conclusions: The finding of profiles with pattern differences suggests a need for both differential and specifically targeted treatments, as well as a consideration of early intervention for those individuals with subclinical PTS symptoms. As expected, anxiety and depression were both predictors of several of the symptomatic profiles, with anxiety producing a larger effect. Further research is required to fully understand the link between role-type and PTS symptom typologies among HCW. .

Language: en

Keywords

*COVID-19; *Health Personnel/psychology/statistics & numerical data; *Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/diagnosis; Adult; Análisis de perfil latente; Anxiety/psychology; Depression/psychology; England; estrés postraumático; Female; healthcare staff; Humans; Latent profile analysis; Male; Middle Aged; non-clinical role; personal de salud; post-traumatic stress; Retrospective Studies; rol no clínico; SARS-CoV-2; Surveys and Questionnaires; symptom typologies; tipologías de síntomas