Objectives:
The aim of this article is to present the impact of stress on the professionals who work in the uniformed services of the police, fire department, correctional department, therefore such individuals who are carrying out their chores under conditions of being particularly at risk of experiencing various types of traumatic incidents.

Material and methods:
The article, based on the both theoretical and empirical researches of the experts of this issue, presents the main criteria, symptoms and factors conditioning development of the post-traumatic stress disorder. It also presents data indicating the scale of this phenomenon and the effects of the trauma associated with acting a stressful professional role.

Results:
The prevalence of traumatic events around the world is increasing. It is estimated that ca. 70% of the population has experienced in their life this kind of occurrence, while the post-traumatic stress disorder is considered as one of the most severe of its consequences, leading to negative psychosomatic symptoms, which disorganise a hitherto functioning in all of the life spheres.

Conclusions:
The aspects addressed in this article, represent a cognitive value, since they expose the widely understood traumatic situation of the individuals working in the high-risk professions. Furthermore, another value added of this paper is its diagnostic character due to the presentation of the knowledge not only about the issue of trauma, but also of the criteria of the post-traumatic stress disorder.