Impact of Trauma and Living Conditions on Psychopathology of Ambulance Personnel - A Comparison between German and Palestinian Ambulance Drivers

The prevalence and the types of traumas experienced by people differ significantly depending on the situation people live in, e.g., in a generally safe environment or in a stressful one. The current study compares German and Palestinian ambulance drivers investigating their overall history of traumas, symptoms of posttraumatic stress, and levels of anxiety and depression. Participants completed a series of questionnaires measuring stress, trauma, depression, and anxiety. The data from both groups were compared. As expected, the Palestinian group had experienced more traumata, demonstrated higher levels of posttraumatic stress symptoms, and had higher scores on the depression and anxiety scales than the German ambulance drivers. There were significant relationships between PTSD and depression, between PTSD and anxiety as well as between depression and anxiety in both samples. Our results indicate a clear need for a further investigation regarding the impact of multiple traumas on the psychological well-being of Palestinian ambulance drivers.