WORK-RELATED POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER: REPORT OF FIVE CASES

Post-traumatic stress disorder can occur following events that pertain to risks of physical well-being and/or the livelihood of the individual, or other people involved, also within the work-setting environment. The Clinical picture is characterized by symptoms associated with the traumatic event itself, therefore: persistent avoidance of the stimuli associated to the traumatic event; negative changes in terms of emotions and thoughts related to the traumatic event. These changes must last for at least more than one month's time, provoking a clinically significant discomfort whilst not being correlated to the intake of substances and/or other medical conditions. In the work-setting, certain professions incur to having a greater risk of developing PTSD, due to the fact that the nature of their profession exposes them to various predictable risks. Professions implicated are: health workers, fire-fighters, military personnel, journalists working within war-zones and law enforcement personnel. The following study has the aim of examining five clinical cases in which the diagnosis of PTSD was reached, after a multidisciplinary evaluation was carried out within the clinics of Occupational Medicine and Psychology of the ICS Maugeri of Pavia, comprising: occupational medicine visit, psychiatric visit, psychological counselling, administration of the anamnesis for Cognitive Behavioral Assessment 2.0 (CBA 2.0), personality test (MMPI-2), structured interview for the DSM IV (SCID-II), questionnaire to evaluate instances of mobbing (S-NAQ), questionnaire to evaluate work-related welfare-stress (MASI-R). The clinical cases examined provide us with a clear picture of how security measures within the work-setting infrastructure play a necessary role in preventing any eventual cases of PTSD; it also outlines how it could be useful for the formation of workers responsible for recognition of eventual stressful events and/or triggers. The initiation of a psycho-therapeutic approach following the traumatic event itself, seems to be a common denominator when dealing with the exposed clinical cases. This should be dealt with shortly after the traumatic event, thus allowing for the quickest resolution of the problem(s) without risking any demotion when prospecting the eventual return to the workplace. In conclusion, it is rather clear that the correct interdisciplinary diagnostic approach is indeed the necessary course of action to take in regards to setting up the psycho-therapeutic treatment and dealing with associated medico-legal obligations.