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Cited by 396Stress and Burnout ResearchOccupational Health and BurnoutWorkplace Health and Well-being

Acute and chronic job stressors among ambulance personnel: Predictors of health symptoms

Open access
van der Ploeg, E, Kleber, R J·2003·Occupational and Environmental Medicine
DOI 10.1136/oem.60.suppl_1.i40PMC PMC1765729
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Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To predict symptomatology (post-traumatic distress, fatigue, and burnout) due to acute and chronic work related stressors among ambulance personnel. METHODS: Data were gathered from 123 ambulance workers in The Netherlands in a longitudinal design. At two measurements they completed standardised questionnaires to assess health symptoms, such as the Impact of Event Scale, the Maslach Burnout Inventory, and the Checklist Individual Strength. Acute stressors were assessed with specific questions, and chronic work related stressors were measured with the Questionnaire on the Experience and Assessment of Work. RESULTS: Most of the ambulance workers had been confronted with acute stressors in their work. They also reported more chronic work related stressors than a reference group. Of the participants, more than a tenth suffered from a clinical level of post-traumatic distress, a tenth reported a fatigue level that put them at high risk for sick leave and work disability and nearly a tenth of the personnel suffered from burnout. Best predictors of symptomatology at time 2 were lack of social support at work and poor communication, such as not being informed about important decisions within the organisation. CONCLUSIONS: Ambulance personnel are at risk to develop health symptoms due to work related stressors. Although, acute stressors are related to health symptoms, such as fatigue, burnout, and post-traumatic symptoms, it was not found to predict health symptoms in the long term. Main risk factors have to do with social aspects of the work environment, in particular lack of support from the supervisor as well as colleagues and poor communication. When implementing workplace interventions these social aspects need to be taken into account.

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Crossref · 10.1136/oem.60.suppl_1.i40

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35 of 35 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • Prior evidence indicates that employees' perceptions of being valued directly impact their workplace orientation, performance, and well-being.

    “Indeed, the current results are consistent with prior evidence that employees’ perceptions of being valued directly impact their workplace orientation, performance, and well-being [75,76,77,78,79].”

    From Assessing the Relative Impact of Diverse Stressors among Public Safety Personnel (2020) · cites this paper as [78]

    The Discussion (page not supplied) links perceived organisational support and workplace support to work stress and health symptoms among ambulance personnel. It does not establish that feeling valued directly affects employees’ workplace orientation or performance, and its reported associations do not establish a direct causal impact. (LLM, conf=0.84)

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  • Work-related stressors were not found to predict health symptoms in the long term.

    “however it was not found to predict health symptoms in the long term.”

    From Understanding the Occupational Factors that Influence Paramedic Health and Wellbeing (2024) · cites this paper as Van Der Ploeg, E. & Kleber, R. 2003

    The Discussion reports that the number of acute stressors did not significantly predict health symptoms one year after the first assessment. The claim broadens that finding to work-related stressors generally, although the same passage identifies chronic work-related factors, including high emotional demands and poor communication, as predictors of later symptoms. (LLM, conf=0.90)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Commonly reported job demands among paramedics are environmental, sociocultural and organisational, including critical incidents causing psychological distress, traumatic events concerning patient care, threat of violence from patients and bystanders, risks related to alarm-vehicle driving, uncertain working environments and physical injuries.

    “Other commonly reported job demands among paramedics are environmental, sociocultural and organisational; critical incidents causing psychological distress [19]; traumatic events concerning patient care [20]; the threat of violence from patients and bystanders [21]; and the risks related to alarm-vehicle driving [22], uncertain working environments [8] and physical injuries [23, 24].”

    From Paramedics’ perceptions of job demands and resources in Finnish emergency medical services: a qualitative study (2022) · cites this paper as [20]

  • Paramedics are at risk of developing health symptoms due to work-related stressors.

    “Paramedics are at risk of developing health symptoms due to work related stressors”

    From Understanding the Occupational Factors that Influence Paramedic Health and Wellbeing (2024) · cites this paper as Van Der Ploeg, E. & Kleber, R. 2003

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Cites

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Research works printed but not linked: 6

  1. Hall RC, Gardner ER, Perl M, et al. The professional burnout syndrome. Psychiatr Opin 1979;16:12-17.
  2. van der Ploeg E, Kleber RJ. Ingrijpende gebeurtenissen op het werk and en chronische: Een studie bij ambulancepersoneel [Impact of critical events and chronic stress at work: a study among ambulance personnel]. Gedrag & Organisatie 2001;14:142-51.
  3. Brom D, Kleber RJ. De Schok Verwerkings Lijst [The Dutch Impact of Event Scale]. Ned Tijdschr Psychol 1985;40:164-8.
  4. Maslach C, Jackson SE. Maslach Burnout Inventory: manual research edition. Paolo Alto, CA: University of California, Consulting Psychologist Press, 1986.
  5. Gibbs MS, Drummond J, Lachenmeyer JR. Effects of disaster on emergency workers: a review with implications for training and post disaster interventions. J Soc Behav Pers 1993;8:189-212.
  6. van der Velden PG, Hazen KHM, Kleber RJ. Traumazorg in organisaties [Trauma care in organizations]. Gedrag & Organisatie 1999;6:397-412.

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Authors
van der Ploeg, E., & Kleber, R. J.
Affiliations
Utrecht University (NL)
Corresponding author
Kleber, R J
ORCID
Kleber, R J
Venue
Occupational and Environmental Medicine
Publisher
BMJ
Published
2003-06
Volume
60
Issue
suppl 1
Pages
i40-i46
ISSN
  • 0007-1072 (ISSN-L)
  • 1351-0711
  • 1470-7926
DOI
10.1136/oem.60.suppl_1.i40
PMC
PMC1765729
OpenAlex
W2103482302
Cited by
396
References
35
Citations by year
2026: 8 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 15 · 2023: 21 · 2022: 21 · 2021: 24 · 2020: 24 · 2019: 31 · 2018: 25 · 2017: 15 · 2016: 20 · 2015: 23 · 2014: 15 · 2013: 35 · 2012: 18
FWCI
8.82
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Occupational and Environmental Medicine (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • Research portal (Tilburg University) (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
  • Utrecht University Repository (Utrecht University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Funders
  • Universiteit Utrecht
  • Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
  • Universiteit van Tilburg
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Stress and Burnout Research
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › Occupational Therapy › Occupational Health and Burnout
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Workplace Health and Well-being
Keywords
ambulance personnel, occupational stress, acute stressors, chronic stressors, post-traumatic stress, fatigue, burnout, social support at work, workplace communication, occupational health, emergency medical services
MeSH terms
Adult, Ambulances, Burnout, Professional, Emergency Medical Technicians, Fatigue, Female, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Mental Health, Netherlands, Occupational Diseases, Risk Factors, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic

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