First Responders

Chronic Fatigue and Depression

​First responders experiencing burnout are 117 % more likely to have suicidal ideation compared to their colleagues who do not experience burnout (Bishopp and Boots, 2014)

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Having both EMS and firefighting duties was associated with a sixfold increase in the likelihood of reporting a suicide attempt as compared to firefighting alone (Stanley et al., 2016). 

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Abbot et al. reported that 37 percent of fire and EMS professionals have contemplated suicide, nearly 10 times the rate of American adults (2015). 

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The most recent study in the national burnout survey series found that 45.2% of physicians reported at least one symptom of burnout in 2023.

Anger and Stress Management

Police officers are at increased risk of negative mental health consequences due to the dangerous nature of their jobs as well as the greater likelihood that they experience critical incidents, environmental hazards, and traumatic events (Heavey et al., 2015).

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Sleep deprivation is a significant contributing factor to health problems for first responders. Extended working hours and disrupted sleep patterns can cause a first responders’ system to become dysregulated over time (Haddock, et al., 2017)

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Rural and remote areas usually have limited resources, facilities and staffing which reportedly increases the safety risk to first responders (Jones et al., 2023). Additionally, reduced staffing levels and a lack of specialized staff (e.g. intensive care paramedics) impacts how first responders manage dangerous and violent situations (Jones et al., 2023), and exacerbates workloads (Roberts et al., 2021) increasing the impact on first responder's safety and their mental health (Roberts et al., 2021). 

Trauma

Induced PTSD

 A systematic review of mental health and PTSD illness in paramedics by Petrie et al. (2018) reported PTSD as the most common disorder with average prevalence rates across included studies reported as 11% for PTSD, 27% psychological distress and 15% for both anxiety and depression.

Syed and colleagues (2020), in a systematic review and meta-analysis of the global prevalence of and risk factors for mental health disorders among law enforcement personnel from 24 countries, reported elevated levels of depression (18.6%), PTSD (14.2%), generalized anxiety disorder (9.6%), suicidal ideation (8.5%), and alcohol dependence and hazardous drinking (25.7%). The strongest risk factor for depression, suicidal ideation, and PTSD was high occupational stress, including high levels of exposure to physical danger and threats to personal safety.

Substance Use

First responders are at an even greater risk of developing an alcohol addiction following “critical incidents” such as witnessing death (including the deaths of citizens and fellow personnel). In a study investigating alcohol use in police officers following Hurricane Katrina, there was a significant association between involvement in the hurricane relief efforts and hazardous alcohol drinking (Heavey et al., 2015). In another study, the average number of alcoholic drinks after Hurricane Katrina increased from 2 to 7 drinks per day (McCanlies et al., 2014).

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One research team examined drinking among female firefighters and found that 40% reported binge drinking during the previous month, and 16.5% of female firefighters who used alcohol screened positive for problem drinking behaviors (Haddock, et al., 2017).