RELAXATION AND STRAIN AMONG EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE PERSONNEL AND EMERGENCY CONTROL CENTER DISPATCHERS DURING THE FIRST TWO WAVES OF THE SARS-CoV-2 PANDEMIC

Background: Workloads of emergency medical service personnel (EMP) and emergency control center dispatchers (CCDs) were manifold. The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic presented new challenges for the prehospital emergency medical service. The purpose of this study was to compare the status of stress/strain and recovery of Recovery-Stress Questionnaire among EMP and CCDs in Germany during the first 2 waves of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic both between occupational groups and over time.Material and Methods: A to-tal of 2426 emergency medical service personnel and control center dispatchers were questioned with the Recovery-Stress Question-naire based on Kallus. The results from the first 2 waves of the pandemic (June-August 2020 and January-February 2021) were com-pared.Results: During the first and second wave of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, the subjectively perceived stress of emergency medical service personnel and control center dispatchers increased, but recovery decreased. The CCDs showed more unfavorable values compared to EMP.Conclusions: Health promotion interventions are necessary to counteract possible career changes or mental or other diseases due to insufficient management. Med Pr Work Health Saf. 2023;74(5):353-62.