Measuring workplace trauma response in Australian paramedics: an investigation into the psychometric properties of the Impact of Event Scale

INTRODUCTION: Investigation into the psychological effects of violence toward health care workers and its associated trauma is increasing. The Impact of Event Scale (IES) provides a measure of current, subjective, emotional distress symptomatic of a specific traumatic event. However, its validity among paramedics is largely unknown. PROBLEM: The purpose of this study was to investigate the psychometric properties and factor structure of the IES with a sample of Australian paramedics. METHODS: The study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties and factor structure of the 15-item IES with a sample of Australian paramedics using Exploratory Factor Analysis with model fit statistics as found in confirmatory analysis. RESULTS: Maximum Likelihood Factor Analysis with Varimax rotation supported the hypothesis that a two-factor solution would provide the best fit of the data. Procrustes rotation provided further support for this hypothesis indicating that the factors, labeled “Intrusion” and “Avoidance”, as well as the individual items of the 12-item final model, were a good fit to an ideal solution. CONCLUSION: The revision of the scale has improved its validity for use in the general population of paramedics, improving the potential for its use in trauma-related research.