Protective effect of paramedics’ sense of personal accomplishment at work: Mitigating the impact of stress on sleep

Abstract

Introduction Paramedics are at greater risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), trauma-related symptoms and burnout. Despite a large amount of research linking poor sleep quality with both PTSD and burnout, there has been no research linking all three variables (in emergency workers or otherwise). Given the importance of sleep in a profession that is largely reliant on shift work, the goal of the current study was to examine the moderating role of burnout in the association between post-traumatic stress and sleep quality. Methods A sample of 87 paramedics from major urban centres across Canada completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory and the PTSD Checklist Civilian Version, in addition to reporting sleep quality for a period of 1 week. Results In support of our hypotheses, self-reported post-traumatic stress was associated with lower-than-average sleep quality. Standard regression analyses further revealed that this effect was moderated by reports of burnout, such that higher burnout exacerbated the effect of post-traumatic stress on sleep. In examination of the subscales of the Maslach Burnout Inventory, this effect was maintained for personal accomplishment only, which interacted with stress in such a way that quality of sleep appeared to be further compromised. Conclusions These findings offer important considerations regarding the mitigating role of more positive workplace variables in paramedics suffering from post-traumatic stress, PTSD, and/or sleep problems. Interventions aimed at fostering a sense of personal accomplishment on the job may improve the health of emergency medical personnel via multiple pathways.