Table 1.
Demographic and baseline measures of participants assessed within 1 week of starting paramedic training
| Variable | Sample (n = 453) | |
|---|---|---|
| Mean age, years (s.d.) | 30.31 (7.69) | |
| Gender, n (%) | Men | 264 (58.3) |
| Women | 189 (41.7) | |
| Mean duration of education, years (s.d.) | 14.62 (3.32) | |
| Ethnicity, n (%) | Caucasian | 404 (89.2) |
| Black | 11 (2.4) | |
| Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi | 3 (0.7) | |
| Other | 34 (7.5) | |
| Did not disclose | 1 (0.2) | |
| Relationship status, n (%) | Currently in long-term relationship | 280 (61.8) |
| Single, divorced, widowed | 171 (37.7) | |
| Mean number of lifetime traumatic events meeting DSM-IV criterion A (s.d.) | 2.12 (1.96) | |
| Mean number of traumatic events during training meeting criterion A (s.d.) | 0.92 (1.89) | |
| History of mental disorders, n (%) | Life-time prevalence of any disorder | 188 (41.5) |
| PTSD | 68 (15.0) | |
| Social anxiety disorder | 19 (4.1) | |
| Generalized anxiety disorder | 11 (2.4) | |
| Major depressive episode | 112 (24.7) | |
| Alcohol abuse | 24 (5.2) | |
| Alcohol dependence | 19 (4.1) | |
| Panic disorder | 6 (1.3) | |
| Agoraphobia without panic disorder | 6 (1.3) | |
| Substance abuse | 14 (3.1) | |
| Substance dependence | 12 (2.6) | |
| Obsessive–compulsive disorder | 1 (0.22) | |
| Eating disorder | 1 (0.22) | |
| Psychological traits: mean (s.d.) | Dissociation | 11.51 (6.59) |
| Neuroticism | 4.30 (3.14) | |
| Anxiety sensitivity | 13.38 (8.72) | |
| Cognitive risk factors: mean (s.d.) | Perceived resilience to stress | 75.16 (10.63) |
| Negative attitudes to emotional expression | 10.38 (3.42) | |
| Depressive attributions | 8.63 (7.26) | |
| Maladaptive post-traumatic cognitions | 54.98 (26.73) | |
| Cognitive responses to memories of stressful events: mean (s.d.) | Suppression | 7.32 (3.85) |
| Rumination | 5.96 (4.80) | |
| Intentional numbing | 2.65 (2.58) | |
| Styles of coping with stress: mean (s.d.) | Substance use | 2.70 (1.26) |
| Behavioural disengagement | 2.72 (1.05) | |
| Wishful thinking | 7.32 (2.18) | |
| Social support: mean (s.d.) | Social support (family and friends) | 37.35 (6.41) |
| Social support (work) | 30.66 (4.72) | |
s.d., Standard deviation; DSM, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition; PTSD, post-traumatic stress disorder.