[Recovery-stress levels in paramedics during the first two waves of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic]

The balance between stress perception and recovery of emergency medical service personnel during service and leisure time is an essential indicator of mental and physical health. It ensures success in emergency medical care and is also a health policy and economic factor for any organization. The aim of the study was to evaluate the recovery stress level of paramedics in the first and second waves of the SARS-CoV‑2 pandemic.

The quantitative cross-sectional study included 1936 records of responders (334 women and 1602 men, mean age 34.9 ± 10.5 years). The online survey during the SARS-CoV‑2 pandemic was performed during the first wave in 2020 and the second wave in 2021. The short form EBF-24/A (test version S2) of the recovery stress questionnaire according to Kallus was analyzed.

During the course of the two survey phases, the dimensions stress increased significantly (t1: 2.52 ± 0.98 and t2: 2.88 ± 1.04 points, p < 0.001) and recovery decreased significantly (t1: 2.98 ± 0.90 and t2: 2.64 ± 0.89 points, p < 0.001). Similar results were found for the corresponding subscales with the exception of the subscale "restful sleep" of the dimension recovery (t1: 2.81 ± 1.36 and t2: 2.72 ± 1.36 points).

During the SARS-CoV‑2 pandemic, which has been ongoing since the beginning of 2020, the stress experienced by emergency responders increased from the first to the second wave, while the perception of recovery for emergency responders decreased. The study presents the current situation of recovery stress in German emergency medical service employees and allows predictions about performance and health in pandemic situations.