Psychological impact of body recovery duties

The psychological effects of body recovery duties were studied in two groups, 28 specialized police volunteers and 40 ambulance workers. The Impact of Events scale and the General Health Questionnaire were administered to both groups. The results showed that 20% of the ambulance workers and 3% of the policemen were in the moderate to severe category of psychological distress. In neither group did age, number of incidents attended or years in service correlate with distress. Possible causes of the difference between the two groups, such as the way they were managed, are discussed.