Prevalence of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder among Firefighters in Iran: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Ali   Sahebi; Kosar   Yousefi; Siamak  Moayedi; Najaf   Golitaleb; Ali  Esmaeili Vardanjani; Mohamad Golitaleb

doi:10.18502/ijps.v15i4.4301

Ali Sahebi
Kosar Yousefi
Siamak Moayedi
Najaf Golitaleb
Ali Esmaeili Vardanjani
Mohamad Golitaleb

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijps.v15i4.4301

Keywords: First Responder; Firefighters; Mental Health; Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Abstract

Objective: Firefighters are exposed to many different chemicals and physical hazards and experience a significant number of accidents and injuries. They are exposed to high-risk of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of PTSD among Iranian firefighters.

Method: This was a systematic review and meta-analysis. Valid Persian and English keywords were searched in data resources, including SID, Magiran, Irandoc, Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science to retrieve articles on the prevalence of PTSD among Iranian firefighters. The STROBE checklist was used to assess the quality of the articles. Heterogeneity among the studies was assessed by I² index. The data were analyzed using Stata14 software.

Results: Of the 316 articles selected in the initial search, 3 articles the inclusion criteria and were used for the meta-analysis. A total of 274 firefighters were studied. The prevalence of PTSD was 23.17% among Iranian firefighters (I² = 92.4%, 95% CI = 6.71-39.62, p < 0.001).

Conclusion: The prevalence of PTSD is among Iranian firefighters relatively high and has been on the rise over the recent years.