Symposia
Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders and Disasters
Sidonia E. Compton, M.S.
University Of North Texas
Denton, Texas
Elizabeth Griffith, M.S.
Graduate student
University of North Texas
Denton, Texas
Ling Jin, PhD
Assistant Professor
University of Calgary
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Ateka Contractor, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
University Of North texas
Denton, TX
Danica Slavish, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
The University of North Texas
Denton, Texas
Anka A. Vujanovic, Ph.D.
Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Education
University of Houston - Department of Psychology
Houston, Texas
Background: Given the potential for occupational trauma exposure as well as the nature of the job environment (e.g., shift work, workplace stress), firefighters are at increased risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and sleep disturbances. Extant research links PTSD symptoms with sleep disturbances, including poor sleep quality, duration, and efficiency. To date, no published studies have examined PTSD symptoms and sleep disturbances among subgroups of firefighters. The current study used latent profile analyses (LPA) to identify the best-fitting class solution to categorize firefighters based on endorsed PTSD symptoms and sleep disturbances and examined relations between the optimal class solution and health covariates (i.e., anger reactions, depression symptoms, emotion regulation difficulties, number of traumatic event types).
Methods: Participants were 815 trauma-exposed firefighters (Mage=38.63; 93.20% male) who completed self-report measures assessing PTSD symptoms, sleep quality, and related health covariates.
Results: Results revealed three latent subgroups: High PTSD-Sleep Disturbances, Moderate PTSD-Sleep Disturbances, and Low PTSD-Sleep Disturbances. Multinomial logistic regression indicated that endorsing greater anger reactions, depression symptoms, and emotion regulation difficulties increased the chances of membership in the more severe classes. Endorsement of greater traumatic event types increased the chances of being in the Moderate vs. Low PTSD-Sleep Disturbances Classes.
Discussion: These results improve our understanding of subgroups of firefighters based on PTSD and sleep disturbances. Notably, findings highlight the need to clinically address anger reactions, depression symptoms, and emotion regulation difficulties among firefighters who report severe levels of co-occurring PTSD symptoms and sleep disturbances. Targeting these related health covariates have implications for firefighters’ mental and physical health.