Celen, OzgeSimsek, Zeynep2026-04-042026-04-0420241935-78931938-744Xhttps://doi.org/10.1017/dmp.2024.271https://hdl.handle.net/11411/10484Objectives The mental health of paramedics is critical for disaster response in order to provide rapid and effective interventions. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and related individual and occupational factors in Turkish paramedics during the eleventh month of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods The Sociodemographic Information Form, Life Events Checklist, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist were used to collect data from 440 randomly selected paramedics in this cross-sectional study. Results The prevalence of PTSD was 59.8% in the 11th month of the COVID-19 pandemic. Multiple regression analysis revealed that approximately 25% of the total PTSD score could be independently explained by paramedics' general health situation and sociodemographic characteristics; 27% by crisis management skills, long working hours, a lack of equipment, and intensive work; and 40% by past traumatic experiences due to difficult life events during their professional practice, such as responding to gunshot wounds, becoming a victim of a gunshot attack, or sexual assault (P < 0.05). Conclusions Integrating a mental health monitoring system into the health and safety program, providing paramedics with supervision and psychological assistance, and engaging them in disaster preparedness planning would be beneficial.eninfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessParamedicsPost-Traumatic Stress DisorderCovid-19Occupational FactorsArticle2-s2.0-8521172670210.1017/dmp.2024.27110.1017/dmp.2024.27139641176Q218Q3WOS:001371736000001