Laura M García-Sanz

Prof. Laura M García-Sanz

Gerencia de Emergencias Sanitarias de SACYL
orcid

Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

6Years (2021-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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CMCarmen M Martínez-Caballero
Carmen M Martínez-Caballero
Rosa M Cárdaba-GarcíaRosa M Cárdaba-García
Rosa M Cárdaba-García
RVRocío Varas-Manovel
Rocío Varas-Manovel
LGLaura M García-Sanz
Laura M García-Sanz
JMJorge Martínez-Piedra
Jorge Martínez-Piedra
Rosa M Cárdaba-GarcíaRosa M Cárdaba-García
Rosa M Cárdaba-García
The early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic presented the characteristics of a traumatic event that could trigger post-traumatic stress disorder. Emergency Medical Services workers are already a high-risk group due to their professional development. The research project aimed to analyse the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on EMS professionals in terms of their mental health. For this purpose, we present a descriptive crosssectional study with survey methodology. A total of 317 EMS workers (doctors, nurses, and emergency medical technicians) were recruited voluntarily. Psychological distress, post-traumatic stress disorder, and insomnia were assessed. The instruments were the General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12), the Davidson Trauma Scale (DTS-8), and the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS-8). We found that 36% of respondents had psychological distress, 30.9% potentially had PTSD, and 60.9% experienced insomnia. Years of work experience were found to be positively correlated, albeit with low effect, with the PTSD score (r = 0.133). Finally, it can be stated that the COVID-19 pandemic has been a traumatic event for EMS workers. The number of professionals presenting psychological distress, possible PTSD, or insomnia increased dramatically during the early phases of the pandemic. This study highlights the need for mental health disorder prevention programmes for EMS workers in the face of a pandemic.