A new study suggests the popular hobby is causing an increase in PTSD among professional paintball players.
It’s called the “epidemic” and is a result of the hobby’s popularity and increased exposure to violence and abuse.
It comes amid reports of rising rates of PTSD in the sport.
A new study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry found that those who played paintball more than 15 times a year had a 25 per cent increase in the risk of experiencing PTSD.
The study found that of the 6,000 paintballers who participated, there were more than 300,000 players.
They used to be in control of their own bodies, and they now have to cope with the stress of playing paintball with so many people around them.
This is not to say that all paintball gamers are violent or aggressive.
The study looked at more than 500,000 recreational players, which is still a fairly small number compared to the average US population of over 3.2 million.
But the study also found that paintball has increased the risk for mental health problems in players.
Researchers found that players were twice as likely to have experienced an episode of PTSD as those who were not involved in the game.
When the researchers looked at how the symptoms of PTSD were linked to the game, they found that they were linked with:An increased risk of self-harmThe development of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorderThe development and/or exacerbation of depressionAn increased likelihood of experiencing post-exposure prophylaxisThe development or exacerbation in aggression and violenceThe development in anxietyThe development, or exacerbating, of aggression or violenceThe risk of becoming depressed, anxious or psychoticAn increased chance of experiencing symptoms of post-post-traumatic anxiety disorderThe risk that the PTSD symptoms would become more frequentThe risk the players would become anxious, agitated, hyperactive or violentAn increased rate of self harmA history of depression and anxietyThe association between play and depressionAn increase in aggression or violent behaviorAn increased tendency to have suicidal thoughtsAn increased need to engage in other risky behaviorsThe study said that while the association between paintball and PTSD was still very unclear, the research showed there was “a strong association between increased rates of trauma in paintball gaming and increased risk for PTSD symptoms”.
“The research showed that paintballs increased the rate of PTSD symptoms among professional players,” the study said.
“This was not found among recreational players who had not played paintballs.”
Dr Adam Hirsch, from the University of Melbourne, said the study did not prove the association was causal.
“The evidence for an association between exposure to trauma and PTSD is still in its infancy,” Dr Hirsch said.
“But the data is suggestive that paint ball players who play paintball at an increased rate have a heightened risk of developing PTSD symptoms.”
So this suggests that there might be a connection between exposure and PTSD in paint ball and that this might be related to the increased exposure in paintballs to violence, and to the risk that paint balls pose for these types of players.
“The study also looked at other aspects of the game that were linked.
It found that there were three different types of trauma that were associated with a greater likelihood of developing post-treatment PTSD symptoms:A mental health problem related to trauma, such as depression and self-blameA physical problem, such in having a broken arm, broken leg or other physical injury, which could be related, for example, to a broken jawThe risk from violence, such being a former partner or partner in crimeA personality disorder, which includes anger, hostility, anxiety, irritability and impulsivityA physical illness, such a concussion, heart attack or strokeThe researchers did not look at the actual prevalence of PTSD.
Dr Hirsch and his co-authors believe the research shows that the majority of paintballplayers in the study were not experiencing symptoms.
But Dr Hisch said there were some paintball users who were at risk of having PTSD.”
What we don’t know is how many paintball shooters are going to be at the extreme end of this spectrum of PTSD and we don.t know what the prevalence of those types of symptoms is,” he said.
Dr Adam Haynes, a researcher at the University at Albany, said there was a clear link between exposure from paintball playing and increased PTSD symptoms for players.”
If the paintball game is making us so stressed and fearful, why are we doing so much of it?” he said of paintballs.”
It is not a good sport, it is not about fun.
“And when you think about the things that people who play it are experiencing, it’s really disturbing.”
In addition to the stress and the fear, there are the issues of isolation, anxiety about your own safety, fear about being seen, fears about being alone, anxiety around relationships, and all these issues.
“Dr Haynes said the results