Prevalence of Depression Among Staff at the City Institute for Emergency Medical Services Belgrade
Abstract
Introduction: According to the WHO, depression is a common mental disorder where workplace conditions play a significant contributing factor.
Objective: To examine the prevalence of depression and the relationship with sociodemographic characteristics in staff at the Institute for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Belgrade, i.e., physicians, medical technicians, drivers and administrative workers.
Methodology: The research was conducted at the City Institute for EMS Belgrade in the period from December 1 to December 6, 2007. The questionnaire consisted of questions about the sociodemographic characteristics of participants, a self-assessment questionnaire for depression PHQ-9 and a question about the use of antidepressants. The data that was collected was statistically processed with the software package SPSS 20.0
Results: The study included 118 participants, 58.47% were male and the average age was 40.77 ± 8.86. The result of the PHQ-9 test showed that 30% of the participants had subsyndromal depression, 11% had a mild depressive episode, most often in female participants (p = 0.023) and in administrative workers (p = 0.003). Depression was present in 16.95% of respondents. Out of the 9 listed symptoms of depression, fatigue/extreme exhaustion were most commonly present (47.46%) as well as feelings of emptiness and hopelessness (43.22%). Only 11.86% of participants used antidepressants and there was no statistically significant difference in relation to the observed parameters.
Conclusion: Subsyndromal depression is significantly present among the EMS staff in Belgrade, more often among female participants and those working in administration.
References
1. Depression [Internet]. [cited 2021 Dec 5]. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression
2. Milić N. Istraživanje zdravlja stanovništva Srbije 2019. godine [Internet]. Istraživanje zdravlja stanovništva Srbije 2019. godine. 2021 [cited 2021 Dec 5]. p. 1–141. Available from: https://publikacije.stat.gov.rs/G2021/pdf/G20216003.pdf
3.Depression [Internet]. [cited 2022 Jul 17]. Available from: https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression
4.Grazier KL. The Economic Impact of Depression in the Workplace. 2019 [cited 2021 Dec 5];17–26. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331066645_The_Economic_Impact_of_Depression_in_the_Workplace_Strategies_and_Tools_to_Optimize_Outcomes
5.Greenberg PE, Fournier AA, Sisitsky T, Simes M, Berman R, Koenigsberg SH, et al. The Economic Burden of Adults with Major Depressive Disorder in the United States (2010 and 2018). Pharmacoeconomics [Internet]. 2021 Jun 1 [cited 2022 Jul 17];39(6):653–65. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33950419/
6.Petrie K, Milligan-Saville J, Gayed A, Deady M, Phelps A, Dell L, et al. Prevalence of PTSD and common mental disorders amongst ambulance personnel: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol [Internet]. 2018 Sep 1 [cited 2022 Jul 17];53(9):897–909. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29869691/
7.Lawn S, Roberts L, Willis E, Couzner L, Mohammadi L, Goble E. The effects of emergency medical service work on the psychological, physical, and social well-being of ambulance personnel: A systematic review of qualitative research. BMC Psychiatry [Internet]. 2020 Jul 3 [cited 2021 May 14];20(1). Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32620092/
8.Bailey E, Robinson J, McGorry P. Depression and suicide among medical practitioners in Australia. Intern Med J [Internet]. 2018 Mar 1 [cited 2020 Jul 7];48(3):254–8. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29512324/
9.MacDonald JB, Hodgins G, Saliba AJ, Metcalf DA. Journalists and Depressive Symptoms: A Systematic Literature Review. Trauma Violence Abuse [Internet]. 2021 [cited 2022 Jul 26]; Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33998329/
10.Burgel BJ, Elshatarat RA. Associations between daily-on-the job hassles with perceived mental exertion and depression symptoms in taxi drivers. Am J Ind Med [Internet]. 2019 Sep 1 [cited 2022 Jul 26];62(9):791–802. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31328812/
11.Shi J, Chen Y, Li X, An Y. Predicting Posttraumatic Stress and Depression Symptoms among Frontline Firefighters in China. J Nerv Ment Dis. 2021 Jan 1;209(1):23–7.
12.Afshari A, Borzou SR, Shamsaei F, Mohammadi E, Tapak L. Perceived occupational stressors among emergency medical service providers: a qualitative study. BMC Emerg Med [Internet]. 2021 Dec 1 [cited 2021 Dec 5];21(1). Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33757433/
13.Boland LL, Mink PJ, Kamrud JW, Jeruzal JN, Stevens AC. Social Support Outside the Workplace, Coping Styles, and Burnout in a Cohort of EMS Providers From Minnesota. Workplace Health Saf [Internet]. 2019 Aug 1 [cited 2021 Dec 5];67(8):414–22. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31064273/
14.Mountfort S WJ. EMS Provider Health And Wellness - PubMed [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing; [cited 2021 May 14]. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29630288/
15.Outhoff K. Depression in doctors: A bitter pill to swallow. https://doi.org/101080/2078619020191610232 [Internet]. 2019 May 15 [cited 2021 Dec 5];61(sup1):S11–4. Available from: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/20786190.2019.1610232
16.Rajan S, Engelbrecht A. A cross-sectional survey of burnout amongst doctors in a cohort of public sector emergency centres in Gauteng, South Africa. African J Emerg Med Rev africaine la Med d’urgence [Internet]. 2018 Sep 1 [cited 2021 Dec 5];8(3):95–9. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30456156/
17.Ké, Damasceno cia S, Barbosa É de S, Joã, Pimentel o VC, Jú AGT, et al. Suicide among Physicians and Methodological Similarities of MEDLINE/PubMED and BVS/BIREME Open Access Bibliographic Databases: A Systematic Review with Metanalysis. Health (Irvine Calif) [Internet]. 2017 Jan 25 [cited 2021 Dec 5];9(2):352–75. Available from: http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=74301
18.Vigil NH, Grant AR, Perez O, Blust RN, Chikani V, Vadeboncoeur TF, et al. Death by Suicide—The EMS Profession Compared to the General Public. Prehospital Emerg Care [Internet]. 2019 May 4 [cited 2020 Jul 7];23(3):340–5. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30136908/
19.REŠENJE O UTVRĐIVANJU POSEBNOG PROGRAMA IZ OBLASTI JAVNOG ZDRAVLJA ZA TERITORIJU AP VOJVODINE (“Sl. list AP Vojvodine”, br. 34/2013) [Internet]. [cited 2022 Oct 9]. Available from: http://demo.paragraf.rs/demo/combined/Old/t/t2013_09/t09_0178.htm
20.UPITNIK SAMOPROCENE ZA DEPRESIJU. [cited 2022 Oct 9]; Available from: https://www.izjzv.org.rs/izjzv/uploads/9ba48cd4-72a4-a4b7-8cc5-d9f5d45b8fb8/Letak_Pacijenti_LAT.pdf
21.Jiraniramai S, Wongpakaran T, Angkurawaranon C, Jiraporncharoen W, Wongpakaran N. Construct Validity and Differential Item Functioning of the PHQ-9 Among Health Care Workers: Rasch Analysis Approach. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat [Internet]. 2021 [cited 2022 Jul 27];17:1035–45. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33854319/
22.Bentley MA, Crawford J Mac, Wilkins JR, Fernandez AR, Studnek JR. An assessment of depression, anxiety, and stress among nationally certified EMS professionals. Prehosp Emerg Care [Internet]. 2013 Jul [cited 2021 Dec 5];17(3):330–8. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23414106/
23.Fišeković-Kremić M, Glavinić-Mijić M, Tomić-Smiljanić M. Prevalence of depressive disorders in general practitioners. Opsta Med. 2019;24(1–2):1–8.
24.Abraham A, Chaabna K, Doraiswamy S, Bhagat S, Sheikh J, Mamtani R, et al. Depression among healthcare workers in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Hum Resour Health [Internet]. 2021 Dec 1 [cited 2021 Dec 5];19(1). Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34246282/
25.Eiche C, Birkholz T, Jobst E, Gall C, Prottengeier J. Well-being and PTSD in German emergency medical services – A nationwide cross-sectional survey. PLoS One [Internet]. 2019 Jun 1 [cited 2020 Dec 25];14(7). Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31335903/
26.Rezultati istraživanja zdravlja stanovništva Srbije 2013. godine [Internet]. [cited 2020 Dec 27]. Available from: http://www.batut.org.rs/download/publikacije/IstrazivanjeZdravljaStanovnistvaRS2013.pdf
27.Arroll B, Goodyear-Smith F, Crengle S, Gunn J, Kerse N, Fishman T, et al. Validation of PHQ-2 and PHQ-9 to screen for major depression in the primary care population. Ann Fam Med [Internet]. 2010 [cited 2021 Dec 17];8(4):348–53. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20644190/
28.Jiraniramai S, Wongpakaran T, Angkurawaranon C, Jiraporncharoen W, Wongpakaran N. Construct Validity and Differential Item Functioning of the PHQ-9 Among Health Care Workers: Rasch Analysis Approach. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat [Internet]. 2021 [cited 2021 Dec 5];17:1035–45. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33854319/