Sleep Paralysis among Professional Firefighters and a Possible Association with PTSD—Online Survey-Based Study
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health September 1, 2021 Paulina Wróbel-knybel, Joanna Róg, Baland Jalal et al.
Sleep paralysis (SP) affects about 7.6% of the general population, and PTSD is a strong risk factor. In a study of 831 professional firefighters, the prevalence of SP was 8.7%. High probability of PTSD was found in 15.04% of participants, and those with PTSD had 1.86 times the odds of experiencing SP (95% CI: 1.04–3.33). Firefighters who had at least one SP episode scored higher on scales measuring PTSD symptoms, trait anxiety, and worry. The number of SP episodes correlated positively with symptom severity across these measures. The authors suggest further research is needed to understand SP's impact on firefighters' mental and physical health and to develop prevention methods.