Portillo-Van Diest, AnaVilagut, GemmaAlayo, ItxasoFerrer, MontseAmigo, FrancoAmann, Benedikt LAragón-Peña, AndrésAragonès, EnricAsúnsolo-Del-Barco, ÁngelCampos, MireiaDel Cura-González, IsabelEspuga, MeritxellGonzález-Pinto, AnaHaro, Josep MariaLarrauri, AmparoLópez-Fresneña, NievesMartínez de Salázar, AlmaMolina, Juan DOrtí-Lucas, Rafael MParellada, MaraPelayo-Terán, José MaríaPérez-Zapata, AuroraPijoan, José IPlana, NievesPuig, TeresaRius, CristinaRodriguez-Blazquez, CarmenSanz, FerranSerra, ConsolUrreta-Barallobre, IratxeKessler, Ronald CBruffaerts, RonnyVieta, EduardPérez-Solá, VíctorAlonso, JordiMortier, PhilippeMINDCOVID Working Group2023-12-122023-12-122023-08-09Epidemiol Psychiatr Sci. 2023 Aug 9:32:e50.http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12105/16787Aim: To investigate the occurrence of traumatic stress symptoms (TSS) among healthcare workers active during the COVID-19 pandemic and to obtain insight as to which pandemic-related stressful experiences are associated with onset and persistence of traumatic stress. Methods: This is a multicenter prospective cohort study. Spanish healthcare workers (N = 4,809) participated at an initial assessment (i.e., just after the first wave of the Spain COVID-19 pandemic) and at a 4-month follow-up assessment using web-based surveys. Logistic regression investigated associations of 19 pandemic-related stressful experiences across four domains (infection-related, work-related, health-related and financial) with TSS prevalence, incidence and persistence, including simulations of population attributable risk proportions (PARP). Results: Thirty-day TSS prevalence at T1 was 22.1%. Four-month incidence and persistence were 11.6% and 54.2%, respectively. Auxiliary nurses had highest rates of TSS prevalence (35.1%) and incidence (16.1%). All 19 pandemic-related stressful experiences under study were associated with TSS prevalence or incidence, especially experiences from the domains of health-related (PARP range 88.4-95.6%) and work-related stressful experiences (PARP range 76.8-86.5%). Nine stressful experiences were also associated with TSS persistence, of which having patient(s) in care who died from COVID-19 had the strongest association. This association remained significant after adjusting for co-occurring depression and anxiety. Conclusions: TSSs among Spanish healthcare workers active during the COVID-19 pandemic are common and associated with various pandemic-related stressful experiences. Future research should investigate if these stressful experiences represent truly traumatic experiences and carry risk for the development of post-traumatic stress disorder.engVoRhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/COVID-19Health personnelProspective cohort studyTraumatic stressCOVID-19Stress Disorders, Post-TraumaticHumansProspective StudiesPandemicsPoly(ADP-ribose) Polymerase InhibitorsHealth PersonnelDepressionAtribución 4.0 Internacional3755525832e5010.1017/S20457960230006282045-7979Epidemiology and psychiatric sciencesopen access