@article{antonio_traumatic_2025,

title = {Traumatic Events, Psychopathology, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in the General Community and First Responders: Presence of Symptoms and Associated Factors},

author = {H. António and P. Gamito and S. Bouchard and S. A. Mansuklal and J. Cardoso and M. Vieira de Castro and R. Pinto},

url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-105026495354&doi=10.3390%2Fejihpe15120241&partnerID=40&md5=ff9135a8c22252b8623a20ad1bec11a1},

doi = {10.3390/ejihpe15120241},

issn = {21748144 (ISSN)},

year  = {2025},

date = {2025-01-01},

journal = {European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education},

volume = {15},

number = {12},

abstract = {Most individuals experience at least one traumatic event during their lifetime, which can lead to the development of psychopathological symptoms and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). First responders (e.g., police officers, firefighters, emergency medical professionals) are exposed to traumatic events daily, making them particularly vulnerable to developing such symptoms. Using an online questionnaire, this study aimed to compare self-reported exposure to traumatic events and the presence of psychopathological and PTSD symptoms between a sample from the general community (n = 137) and first responders (n = 672) residing in Portugal. We also sought to identify factors associated with the development of PTSD symptoms. Results showed that although first responders reported higher exposure to traumatic events, there were no significant differences in PTSD symptoms between first responders and the general community. However, general psychopathological symptoms, particularly anxiety and depression, were higher in the general community than among first responders. Symptoms of anxiety, depression, obsessive–compulsive tendencies, hostility, paranoid ideation, psychoticism, and personally experienced traumatic events emerged as significant predictors of PTSD symptoms, whereas demographic variables showed no significant predictive value. The potential influence of factors such as terror management theory, training and education, professional selection, the “hero lifestyle”, and the “police culture” is discussed, along with implications and directions for future research. © 2025 by the authors.},

keywords = {first responders, general community, psychopathology, PTSD, traumatic events},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{antonio_posttraumatic_2025,

title = {Posttraumatic stress disorder and Physiological Response in First Responders During Virtual Reality Exposure},

author = {H. António and C. Barros and M. Vieira de Castro and J. Oliveira and P. Gamito and S. Bouchard and R. J. Pinto},

url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-105023876769&doi=10.1177%2F21522715251394917&partnerID=40&md5=c3c071b02ee24bd37789dfd06a936fbd},

doi = {10.1177/21522715251394917},

issn = {21522715 (ISSN)},

year  = {2025},

date = {2025-01-01},

journal = {Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking},

abstract = {First responders (FRs) are routinely exposed to traumatic events, increasing risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study compared heart rate variability (HRV) and skin conductance level (SCL) between FRs with and without probable PTSD at baseline and during a virtual reality (VR) task. Eighty-four FRs completed questionnaires and physiological assessments. Participants with probable PTSD showed significantly lower baseline HRV, indicating reduced parasympathetic modulation. No group differences emerged for HRV during VR or for SCL at either point. The results confirm reduced HRV at rest in PTSD, but further work is needed to clarify why this difference was not observed during the task and why SCL showed no group effects. To advance understanding of these results, future studies should include larger samples, longer baselines, recovery phases, and clinical interviews. © 2025 Mary Ann Liebert, (NY) LLC.},

keywords = {adult, electrodermal response, Emergency Responders, female, first responders, Galvanic Skin Response, Heart Rate, human, Humans, male, Middle Aged, pathophysiology, physiological response, physiology, Post-Traumatic, posttraumatic stress disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), psychology, questionnaire, rescue personnel, skin conductance, Stress Disorders, Surveys and Questionnaires, virtual reality, virtual reality exposure therapy, Young Adult},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}