Like other first responders, many firefighters show signs of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that often go undiagnosed. Developing accessible, brief, and efficient screening tools may improve identification and service utilization. The most recent adaptation of the Primary Care PTSD Checklist for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fifth Edition (PCL-5; PC-PTSD-5 [0-20]) demonstrates promising screening performance among firefighters. Our study translated the PC-PTSD-5 [0-20] into Turkish and conducted validity and reliability analyses. The PC-PTSD-5 [0-20] was translated and culturally adapted into Turkish through forward translation, backward translation, and expert-led refinement. We conducted a pilot test with 30 firefighters, followed by carrying out the full study among (N = 215) firefighters from fire stations across all the districts of Istanbul. Participants in the full study completed the Turkish PC-PTSD-5 [0-20] and PCL-5, and we analyzed them for reliability, validity, and diagnostic utility. The Turkish PC-PTSD-5 [0-20] demonstrated favorable psychometric properties: acceptable internal consistency (α = .61); high test-retest reliability (r = 0.88, p < .001); and strong convergent validity with PCL-5 (r = 0.81, p < .001). Receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed an area under the curve of 0.947 with an optimal cutoff score of 9 that balanced high accuracy (90.23%), sensitivity (82.86%), and specificity (91.67%), while PTSD prevalence was estimated at 16.3% in the sample. The Turkish PC-PTSD-5 [0-20] demonstrates strong psychometric properties, with high accuracy at a cutoff score of 9, and excellent diagnostic utility for screening PTSD among firefighters. Future research should explore its applicability to other first responder groups and predictive validity in longitudinal studies. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and posttraumatic growth (PTG) represent divergent outcomes following trauma exposure in high-risk professions. This investigation examined the complex interplay between PTSD, PTG, and resilience in relation to occupational safety behaviors among Turkish firefighters. A multi-site cross-sectional study was conducted across five metropolitan fire departments in Turkey (N = 122). Participants completed validated psychometric instruments including the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), Posttraumatic Growth Inventory-Expanded Form (PTGI-X), Brief Resilience Scale, alongside detailed evaluations of safety practices, perceptions, and behaviors that assessed protocol adherence, equipment maintenance, training attendance, and safety communication metrics. Hierarchical multiple regression and chi-square analyses examined the relationships between psychological factors and safety outcomes, with particular attention to moderating effects. Analyses revealed significant associations between psychological adaptation patterns and safety-critical behaviors. PTSD symptomatology demonstrated negative correlations with safety protocol adherence (r=-.24, p <.01) and safety awareness (r=-.21, p <.01). PTG manifested distinct cultural patterns, with Personal Strength emerging as the predominant domain (M = 3.10, SD = 1.08). A distinct disparity emerged between technical and psychological safety dimensions, with high adherence to equipment-related protocols (breathing apparatus maintenance: M = 4.00) contrasting markedly with poor implementation of psychological safety practices (comfort in communicating safety concerns: M = 1.66). Regression analyses indicated that psychological factors accounted for 28% of the variance in safety performance metrics, with resilience moderating the relationship between PTSD symptomatology and safety outcomes. This investigation identifies critical relationships between psychological adaptation and occupational safety in firefighting, revealing how PTSD symptoms and PTG distinctly influence safety behaviors through culturally mediated patterns. The significant gap between adherence to technical safety protocols versus psychological safety practices underscores the need for integrated interventions that address both domains. These findings support developing comprehensive programs that enhance psychological resilience while maintaining technical safety standards in emergency services, suggesting a paradigm shift in occupational safety approaches for high-risk professions.

Doğal ve insan kaynaklı afetler sonrasında meydana gelen yangınlar ve yarattığı kayıpların toplum üzerinde travmatik sonuçlar yarattığı bilinmektedir. Afetlerin yaratacağı zararların en az olması, risklerin önceden belirlenmesine ve böylece afet sonuçlarının yönetilebilir olmasına bağlıdır. Afetler ve özellikle yangın afetlerinin toplum üzerinde oluşturduğu maddi manevi kayıplar ile sosyo-kültürel travmaların yanında eko sistemdeki müthiş etkileri her gün biraz daha hissedilmektedir. Bundan dolayı özellikle yangın güvenliği konusunda toplumsal bilinci yüksek, teknoloji üretip satan veya bu konuda standartları oluşturan ülkelerde yangın istatistiklerinin stratejilerini belirlemeye yardımcı olacak nitelikte tutulduğu ve kullanıldığı söylenebilir. Bu güvenlikli ilişkiler zincirinin güçlü olması öğrenen sistemlerin kurulması ile mümkündür. Tüm unsurların ölçülebilir-değerlendirilebilir ve ders alınıp geliştirilebilir veri sisteminin oluşturulması ve kurulmasında temel faktör sağlam, bilimsel ve hedefe dönük istatistik veri havuzu kurulması ve farkındalık oluşturulmasıdır. Bu çalışmada, 2008 ve 2018 yılları arasında İstanbul’da meydana gelen yangınlara ait istatistikler ile ABD, Çin ve AB ülkelerinin yangın istatistikleri karşılaştırılmıştır. Karşılaştırılan ülkelerle Türkiye’de İstanbul ili özelinde tutulan yangın istatistikleri arasındaki veri tipleri incelenmiş bu çerçevede tespit edilen farklıklar belirlenmiştir. Böylece tutulan verilerin bilimsel çalışmalar ve önleyici yaklaşımla bu konuda stratejiler oluşturmaya elverişli olup olmadığı tartışılmış ve iyileştirilmesi hususunda öneriler sunulmuştur.

Objective: The present investigation sought to examine the interrelationships between early-life adverse experiences, dissociative symptoms, suicidal ideation, and depressive manifestations among metropolitan firefighters screened with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and to elucidate the potential mediating effects of these psychological variables on both the presence and severity of PTSD symptomatology in this high-risk occupational cohort. Methods: A cross-sectional investigation was performed to assess psychological conditions among 760 metropolitan male firefighters, employing conditional process analysis with multiple mediation modeling (PROCESS macro Model 6). The investigative protocol employed validated psychometric instruments including the PTSD Checklist (PCL-5); the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ-33); the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES); the Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire (SBQ-4); and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Bootstrap resampling (n = 5000) generated bias-corrected 95% confidence intervals, enabling interrogation of complex trauma response mechanisms. Results: Conditional process analysis demonstrated that childhood trauma functions as a significant mediator (indirect effect = 0.142, 95% CI [0.086, 0.198]), with emotional abuse pathways revealing significant mediational effects (β = 0.285, p < 0.001). Stratifying participants using a PCL-5 ≥ 33 threshold (non-PTSD: n = 543, 71.5%, median PCL-5: 22; PTSD: n = 217, 28.5%, median PCL-5: 39), the investigation elucidated serial mediation mechanisms, particularly through childhood trauma to dissociative experiences (serial indirect effect = 0.168, 95% CI [0.092, 0.244]), collectively explaining nearly half of PTSD variance through complex psychological interaction pathways. Conclusions: Conditional process analysis revealed childhood trauma as a pivotal mediator, with emotional abuse pathways demonstrating significant mediational effects, while dissociative experiences emerged as a significant secondary mechanism, collectively explaining a substantial portion of PTSD variance through interactions between occupational trauma exposure and intrinsic psychological vulnerabilities.