The association between alcohol, medicinal drug use and post-traumatic stress symptoms among Norwegian rescue workers after the 22 July twin terror attacks

Abstract

Background: The aim of this study was to assess whether the use of alcohol and medicinal drugs among rescue workers as a consequence of the 22 July terrorist attack was associated with post-traumatic stress symptoms, and explore if there were differences between affiliated and unaffiliated rescue workers.

Methods: Ten months after the bombing in the Oslo government district and the shooting at the youth camp on Utøya Island, a cross-sectional study of 1790 rescue and healthcare workers was conducted. The questionnaire included information on medicinal drug and alcohol use, experiences during rescue work and PTSS.

Results: Few rescue workers reported alcohol (6.8% n = 119) or medicinal drug (5.5% n = 95) use as a consequence of participation in the 22 July terror attacks. Alcohol and medicinal drug use was associated with an elevated level of PTSS among the rescue workers who reported to use medicinal drugs (11.1 95% CI: 5.7-21.8) or alcohol (10.0 95% CI: 5.2-19.0) as a consequence of the terror attacks.

Conclusion: The study found a low level of post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and alcohol and medicinal drug use among the rescue workers after the terror attacks in Norway on 22 July 2011. There was a strong association between both medicinal drug and alcohol use and elevated PTSS.

Keywords: Alcohol; Exposure; Post-traumatic stress; Psychoactive medicinal drugs; Rescue workers; Terror attack; Trauma.