The Impact of Neighborhood Safety on the Anxiety Levels of Prehospital Emergency Care Professionals - A Research Article
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Abstract
Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of neighborhood crime and violence rates on the anxiety levels of prehospital emergency care professionals.
Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Ankara, the capital city of Turkey. Prehospital emergency care professionals working in the districts with the highest and lowest crime rates were included. A survey was used to evaluate the characteristics and anxiety levels of the participants.
Results: A total of 119 surveys were. Seventy-nine percent of the participants declared that they had experienced workplace violence. The median instantaneous anxiety level of all participants was 47 (IQR 38–53), and the mean general anxiety level of all participants was 44.4 ±9. Rates of experiencing violence against healthcare professionals were similar between low-crime and high-crime districts (75.6% vs. 81.1%, p = 0.47). Feeling anxious about one's work district was more common among those who were working in districts with high crime rates (75.7% vs. 37.8%, p < 0.001).
Conclusion: Neighborhood safety was a predictor of prehospital emergency care professionals' feeling anxious about working in a given district. Moreover, anxiety levels and experiencing workplace violence were high in all participants, regardless of local crime rates.