The association of distress tolerance and mindful awareness with mental health in first responders.

Abstract Introduction: First responders are at greater risk of mental ill health and compromised well-being compared to the general population. It is important to identify strategies that will be effective in supporting mental health, both during and after the first responder’s career. Methods: A scoping review was conducted using the PubMed database (1966 to October 1, 2020) and the Google Scholar database (October 1, 2020) using relevant search terms, truncation symbols, and Boolean combination functions. The reference lists of all relevant publications were also reviewed to identify further publications. Results: A total of 172 publications were retrieved by the combined search strategies. Of these, 56 met the inclusion criteria and informed the results of this overview paper. These publications identified that strategies supporting first responder mental health and well-being need to break down stigma and build resilience. Normalizing conversations around mental health is integral for increasing help-seeking behaviors, both during a first responder’s career and in retirement. Organizations should consider the implementation of both pre-retirement and post-retirement support strategies to improve mental health and well-being. Conclusion: Strategies for supporting mental health and well-being need to be implemented early in the first responder career and reinforced throughout and into retirement. They should utilize holistic approaches which encourage “reaching in” rather than placing an onus on first responders to “reach out” when they are in crisis.

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Mental health help-seeking experiences and service use among Australian first responders

Australian Journal of Psychology ◽

10.1080/00049530.2021.1882271 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-9

Author(s):

Wavne Rikkers ◽

David Lawrence

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Help Seeking ◽

Service Use ◽

First Responders

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50. The Effectiveness of the Mindful Awareness and Resilience Skills for Adolescents (MARS-A) Intervention on Adolescent Mental Health: A Pilot Clinical Trial

Journal of Adolescent Health ◽

10.1016/j.jadohealth.2014.10.054 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 56 (2) ◽

pp. S27 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Dzung X. Vo ◽

Jake J. Locke ◽

Andrea Johnson ◽

Sheila K. Marshall

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Clinical Trial ◽

Adolescent Mental Health ◽

Mindful Awareness

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On the front lines: A qualitative study understanding mental health outcomes for healthcare workers and first responders during the COVID-19 pandemic (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.30284 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Adjunct Professor ◽

Frances Furio

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Qualitative Study ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

First Responders ◽

Mental Health Outcomes ◽

Personal Experiences ◽

The World ◽

New Challenges

BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on various sectors and industries around the world. Globally, healthcare workers and first responders have found themselves faced with unprecedented challenges, both within and outside of the workplace. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this research was to identify and explore the complex mental health outcomes resulting from the various new challenges experienced by healthcare workers and first responders during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS A phenomenological qualitative study was conducted in an effort to understand the mental health outcomes resulting from the various challenges and barriers faced while working during the pandemic. A total of 31 healthcare workers and first responders were interviewed. RESULTS The mental health outcomes described were not isolated to increased stress and anxiety; participants also described complex experiences, perspectives, and feelings related to guilt, stoicism, helplessness, fear, and anger. This paper adds to the current body of literature by further exploring the personal experiences and perspectives of healthcare workers and first responders related to these complex mental health outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Continued exploration, understanding, and awareness is needed in order to continue working towards addressing these outcomes and offering potential solutions.

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Unique Job Roles and Mental Health Risk Factors Among Emergency Dispatchers

Advances in Psychology, Mental Health, and Behavioral Studies - Mental Health Intervention and Treatment of First Responders and Emergency Workers ◽

10.4018/978-1-5225-9803-9.ch004 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 49-62

Author(s):

Isabel Gardett ◽

Edward Trefts ◽

Christopher Olola ◽

Greg Scott

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Emergency Services ◽

First Responders ◽

Health Concerns ◽

Job Roles ◽

Roles And Responsibilities ◽

Emergency Workers ◽

Police Dispatchers ◽

Safety Systems ◽

Emergency Dispatchers

Emergency medical, fire, and police dispatchers are often called the first, first responders. Working in emergency communication centers, they are the first point of contact with medical, fire, and law enforcement resources and the first point of access to public health and public safety systems for millions of callers each year. Emergency dispatchers face unique risks to their mental health, and the roles and responsibilities specific to their work produce stressors not synonymous with those encountered by other first responders and emergency workers. Yet relatively little research has been done to understand the specific mental health concerns of this vital and often overlooked segment of the emergency services profession. The aim of this chapter is to provide an overview of the job-specific tasks and work characteristics that make the emergency dispatcher's job qualitatively different from the jobs of other emergency workers and first responders, then discuss the unique mental health risks associated with their work.

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Establishing the Effectiveness of Interventions Provided to First Responders to Prevent and/or Treat Mental Health Effects of Response to a Disaster: A Systematic Review

Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness ◽

10.1017/dmp.2019.140 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-12

Author(s):

W. Tyler Winders ◽

Nirma D. Bustamante ◽

Stephanie Chow Garbern ◽

Corey Bills ◽

Amin Coker ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Health Effects ◽

Low Income ◽

Psychiatric Symptoms ◽

Psychological Intervention ◽

First Responders ◽

Low Income Countries ◽

Depth Analysis ◽

Mental Health Effects

ABSTRACT Objectives: This review systematically explores the current available evidence on the effectiveness of interventions provided to first responders to prevent and/or treat the mental health effects of responding to a disaster. Methods: A systematic review of Medline, Scopus, PsycINFO, and gray literature was conducted. Studies describing the effectiveness of interventions provided to first responders to prevent and/or treat the mental health effects of responding to a disaster were included. Quality was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) criteria, and the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) checklist. Results: Manuscripts totaling 3869 met the initial search criteria; 25 studies met the criteria for in-depth analysis, including 22 quantitative and 3 qualitative studies; 6 were performed in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs); 18 studies evaluated a psychological intervention; of these, 13 found positive impact, 4 found no impact, and 1 demonstrated worsened symptoms after the intervention. Pre-event trainings decreased psychiatric symptoms in each of the 3 studies evaluating its effectiveness. Conclusions: This review demonstrates that there are likely effective interventions to both prevent and treat psychiatric symptoms in first responders in high-, medium-, and low-income countries.

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