AbstractsPsychology

Background Relevance of the topic and the necessity for scientific investigation Robberies at the bank branches are potentially traumatic events. Many bank employees experiencing a robbery in their workplace suffer important negative consequences as numerous clinical symptoms of post-traumatic stress, worse physical health, impaired productivity and intention to leave their job, both immediately and up to six months after bank robbery. Despite decreasing in frequency, there is an ongoing risk in the bank branches: such events are difficult to predict, and primary intervention strategies may not completely eliminate the risk. Motives for choosing a particular topic Although bank robberies are potentially traumatic event, little is known about the psychological sequelae of those involved. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) literature has largely focused on victims of specific traumas, such as sexual violence, natural disaster, and military combat. PTSD in the occupational context is still under-investigated, and research mainly concerns specific occupational groups as emergency service personnel, police officers, firefighters, and health care workers. Studies concerning the psychological consequences of bank robberies are limited, mostly based on convenience samples, and vary in outcomes measures and design substantially, thus making comparisons difficult.   Research problem and why it is worthwhile studying Since only a minority of subjects experiencing such event in the workplace develop long-term clinically important symptoms and functional impairment, understanding the antecedents of occupational PTSD is a key goal of research. A better understanding of risk factors associated to post-traumatic stress reactions may improve early treatment and preventive intervention, thus reducing PTSD onset and worsening of symptoms. Research objectives The study has three main objectives. The first aim is to evaluate the impact of bank robbery on employees psychological well-being, thus investigating post-traumatic stress reactions. The second one is to better understand risk factors associated to the onset of post-traumatic symptomatology. Consequently, the third aim is to inform the development of new interventions and risk management strategies. Research methodology Nine hundred twenty-four employees of a primary Italian bank group, victims of 238 different robberies, voluntarily joined an employer-sponsored post-robbery support program: - a structured and collective support interview (i.e. psychological debriefing) was conducted with robbery victims within 7-15 days after the event (T1) at the bank branch. A self-reported questionnaire collected socio-demographic information, number of bank robberies occurred during participants’ working life, detailed description of the last robbery with closed and open-ended questions, assessment of post-traumatic stress reaction (Impact of Event Scale); - a follow-up psychological assessment (through structured individual interviews) was conducted 45 days after… Advisors/Committee Members: tutor: G. Costa, COSTA, GIOVANNI.