The psychosocial support needs of prehospital emergency medical services personnel: risks, challenges, and pathways to solutions
SOCIAL WORK IN MENTAL HEALTH, vol.24, no.4, pp.339-358, 2026 (ESCI, Scopus)
- Publication Type: Article / Article
- Volume: 24 Issue: 4
- Publication Date: 2026
- Doi Number: 10.1080/15332985.2025.2594022
- Journal Name: SOCIAL WORK IN MENTAL HEALTH
- Journal Indexes: Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), Scopus, IBZ Online, CINAHL, Psycinfo
- Page Numbers: pp.339-358
- Keywords: Ambulance personnel, coping, prehospital emergency medical services, psychosocial support
- Anadolu University Affiliated: Yes
Abstract
We aimed to determine EMS personnel's psychosocial support needs and experiences with support mechanisms. We included 13 ambulance personnel in our study, which we designed in the phenomenological design, one of the qualitative research methods. We analyzed the data through thematic analysis. Four main themes emerged: the psychosocial burden of working in an ambulance; individual coping strategies; social support resources; and participant recommendations, focusing on the establishment of safe and anonymous institutional support systems. We suggest that these results will contribute to the development of employee-friendly support models that will consider psychosocial support needs.