Violence at Work and Mental Distress among Firefighters in Guatemala

Firefighting is a highly physically and mentally demanding occupation. In many countries, firefighters are frequently exposed to critical events, violent threats and assault in their job, however, knowledge about its prevalence is limited. In addition, little is known about the impact of workplace violence against firefighters in the development of mental distress.

We aimed to determine the prevalence of mental distress in firefighters exposed to workplace violence.

In this cross-sectional study, 141 male full-time firefighters of Guatemala City and Metropolitan Area (response 80.4%) were invited to answer an interview-based questionnaire including items on sociodemographics, working conditions and mental health (general health questionnaire GHQ-12). Mental distress was defined as a GHQ-12 score above 4. The item '12-months prevalence of violence on the job' included physical violence or sexual abuse from colleagues or the public. Statistical analysis with Epiinfo 7 included descriptive, bivariate and logistic regression analyses.

Exposure to violence at the workplace was common (37%). Prevalence of mental distress was higher in violence-exposed firefighters (54%) than among unexposed firemen (39%; p = 0.08). After adjustment, the odds for distress was not statistically significantly increased for those exposed to violence at the workplace in comparison to the unexposed group (1.87; 0.90-3.87). Especially affected by distress were middle-aged firefighters (40-49 years; adjusted Odds Ratio 2.90; 95% Confidence interval 1.20-7.05) compared to younger firemen (<40 years).

Exposure to violence at the workplace is common in Guatemalan firefighters. Although limited by small numbers, the association between violence and poor mental health is plausible. Therefore, training programs strengthening resilience among firefighters in areas with high crime prevalence are warranted.