High Prevalence and Factors Associated with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Brazilian Public Safety Personnel: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a public health issue with higher prevalence among public safety professionals due to the traumatic nature of their work. These professionals face significant risks to their mental health, quality of life, and occupational performance. However, data on the prevalence and determining factors of PTSD in this population remain limited. Objective: to assess the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder and identify factors associated with its development among public safety professionals. Methods: a cross-sectional study was conducted with 206 public safety professionals from Espírito Santo, Brazil. The PCL-5, WHOQOL-BREF, DASS-21, and socioeconomic questionnaires were applied. PTSD was defined as a PCL-5 score ≥36. Data analysis included non-parametric tests, Poisson regression with robust variance, and chi-square tests using R, SPSS, and STATA. The study was approved by the University of Espirito Santo Research Ethics Committee (approval number 5.382.872/2022). Results: 37.4% of participants showed probable PTSD. Factors associated with lower post-traumatic stress disorder prevalence included older age, male sex, and higher quality of life in the psychological and environmental domains. Greater intensity of stress symptoms was significantly associated with higher prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder. Conclusion: this study’s findings highlight the association between emotional stress perception, psychological and environmental quality of life domains, and post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as intrinsic factors such as age and sex. These results reinforce the need for the development and implementation of public mental health policies focused on early screening and diagnosis of mental disorders, stress management, and promotion of well-being for public safety professionals, aiming to improve occupational and psychological quality of life, reduce stress, and prevent or manage post-traumatic stress disorder.