Female firefighters experience post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms more than their male colleagues, according to the German News Agency.
A study conducted by the University of Houston found that one-fifth of female firefighters in a large, urban fire department experience post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms compared with one-eighth of men. It also showed that female firefighters are at higher risk of contemplating suicide.
The post-traumatic stress disorder is a condition that occurs after a traumatic event or a series of harmful incidents over a period of time. It may cause a wide range of symptoms including flashbacks and nightmares causing sleep problems, loss of emotional sense, and high levels of sadness and anger.
The research team assessed 2,639 firefighters of both genders. Among them were 75 women, 15 of whom reported to have suffered post-traumatic stress disorder.
Consuelo Arbona, professor of counseling psychology at the University of Houston sees that: "because women are such a small number of the population in each fire station, they have been somewhat overlooked when they are included in larger studies and their issues are lost."
