Bracken-Scally, M. and McGilloway, Sinéad and Gallagher, S. and Mitchell, J. T. (2014) Life after the Emergency Services: An Exploratory Study of Well Being and Quality of Life in Emergency Service Retirees. International Journal of Emergency Mental Health and Human Resilience, 16 (1). pp. 44-61. ISSN 1522-4821

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Abstract

Much is known about the negative impact of emergency services work, but no studies, to date, have investigated its long-term consequences. This cross-sectional study assesses the possible long-term effects on quality of life, of trauma exposure and emergency work in a sample of retirees from the Irish emergency services (n=169) and a comparison group of non-emergency service retirees (n=140). A multi-questionnaire postal survey was administered to assess quality of life (QoL; WHOQOL-BREF), experiences of trauma, and trauma symptoms (PSS-SR). QoL was significantly better in non-emergency retirees, whilst this group also had significantly fewer trauma symptoms. Incidents involving children were identified by a large proportion of emergency retirees as being particularly difficult to manage. The findings address a significant gap in our knowledge around the possible longer term effects of emergency services work in an often neglected sub-group. Factors associated with increased QoL and reduced symptoms of PTSD are discussed, as are some possible recommendations for the futur

Item Type:	Article
Keywords:	Emergency services; Trauma exposure; PTSD; Quality of life; Mental health; Healthy ageing;
Academic Unit:	Faculty of Science and Engineering > Psychology
Item ID:	6340
Depositing User:	Dr. Sinéad McGilloway
Date Deposited:	08 Sep 2015 16:14
Journal or Publication Title:	International Journal of Emergency Mental Health and Human Resilience
Publisher:	OMICS International
Refereed:	Yes
URI:
Use Licence:	This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

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