scholarly journals Delivering an online cognitive behavioural therapy program to address mental health challenges faced by correctional workers and other public safety personnel: Protocol (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nazanin Alavi ◽  
Callum Stephenson ◽  
Mohsen Omrani ◽  
Cory Gerritsen ◽  
Michael S Martin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Public Safety ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Phase 1 ◽  
Behavioural Therapy ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Participant Recruitment ◽  
Public Safety Personnel ◽  
Cognitive Behavioural ◽  
Safety Personnel

BACKGROUND Public safety personnel have regular and often intense exposure to potentially traumatic events at work, especially workplace violence in the case of correctional workers. Subsequently, correctional workers are at higher risk for developing mental health problems such as posttraumatic stress disorder. Public safety personnel are up to 4 times more likely to experience suicidal ideation, attempts, and death by suicide compared to the general population. Despite this high prevalence, help-seeking behaviours from public safety personnel are low due to stigma and irregular work hours limiting access to care. Innovative treatments are needed to address these challenges. OBJECTIVE This study will investigate the efficacy of an electronically delivered cognitive behavioural therapy (e-CBT) program tailored to correctional workers’ mental health problems. METHODS This study is composed of 4 phases. Phase 1 will interview correctional workers individually and in focus groups to identify personal, social, and cultural factors affecting their mental health and barriers to care. Phase 2 will use the information gathered from the interviews to develop gender and diagnosis-specific e-CBT modules. These will be presented to a new group of participants who will provide further feedback on their usability and accessibility. Phase 3 will randomly assign participants to either an e-CBT or treatment as usual arm. The program will be evaluated with validated symptomatology questionnaires and interviews. Phase 4 will use this additional information to fine-tune the e-CBT modules for a larger-scale randomized controlled trial design comparing the e-CBT program to in-person CBT. All e-CBT modules will be delivered through a secure online platform. RESULTS The study received ethics approval in December 2020 and participant recruitment began in March 2021. Participant recruitment has been conducted through targeted advertisements and physician referrals. To date, there have been 15 participants recruited for Phase 1 and it is expected to conclude in July 2021 with phase 2 beginning in September 2021. Complete data collection and analysis from all phases is expected to conclude by July 2023. Linear and binomial regression (continuous and categorical outcomes respectively) will be conducted along with interpretive qualitative methods. CONCLUSIONS If proven efficacious and feasible, this e-CBT program can provide a high-quality and clinically validated resource to address the mental health problems of correctional workers. Additionally, findings can contribute to the development of innovative treatments for other public safety professions. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04666974; clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04666974

scholarly journals When Our Work Hits Home: Trauma and Mental Disorders in Correctional Officers and Other Correctional Workers

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nina Fusco ◽  
Rosemary Ricciardelli ◽  
Laleh Jamshidi ◽  
R. Nicholas Carleton ◽  
Nigel Barnim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Public Safety ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Correctional Officers ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Public Safety Personnel ◽  
Psychiatric Staff ◽  
Safety Personnel

Background: International estimates suggest that up to one in three public safety personnel experience one or more mental disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Canadian data have been sparse until very recently, and correctional officers and forensic psychiatric staff have rarely been included. Working as a correctional officer is associated with negative health outcomes and increased work-related stress, with several variables affecting reported levels of stress. Healthcare staff also report higher rates of PTSD, especially those who are exposed to aggression in their workplace. In the present study, we compare current symptoms of diverse staff working in correctional occupations.Method: Data were collected from a Canadian national online survey of public safety personnel, including employees of correctional services at the federal level. Correctional officers and wellness services staff were compared for prevalence of mental disorders and suicidal ideation.Results: Correctional officers self-reported statistically significantly more exposure to potentially psychologically traumatic events than wellness services employees. Correctional officers also self-reported higher rates of symptoms of mental disorders, including PTSD, social anxiety, panic disorder, and depression. There were no statistically significant differences in reports of suicidal thoughts, plans, or attempts.Contribution to Society: Correctional and forensic staff contribute to society by working with justice-involved individuals in correctional institutions. Trauma-related disorders and other mental health problems threaten the well-being of correctional and forensic staff. Mental health likely impacts the ability of correctional and forensic staff to develop a therapeutic or working alliance with persons in custody. Staff well-being must be recognized and addressed to ensure that prisoners and staff receive optimal treatment in prison.Conclusion: Our results add to the limited knowledge about the well-being of staff, particularly wellness staff in prisons, who provide daily treatment and care for prisoners with serious mental disorders. Our work is a step toward identifying avenues for promoting staff well-being.

In Conversation… Reducing mental health problems in schools

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Behavioural Therapy ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Clinical Psychologist ◽  
Therapy Approach ◽  
Whole School ◽  
Cognitive Behavioural

Dr Sophie Browning is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist working on whole school approaches to mental health. In this podcast with psychology journalist Jo Carlowe, she discusses an innovative cognitive behavioural therapy approach for reducing anxiety and mental health problems in schools. You can listen to this podcast on SoundCloud or iTunes.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Before Operational Stress: A Program to Support Mental Health and Proactive Psychological Protection in Public Safety Personnel

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea M. Stelnicki ◽  
Laleh Jamshidi ◽  
Amber J. Fletcher ◽  
R. Nicholas Carleton
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Public Safety ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Self Awareness ◽  
Operational Stress ◽  
Public Safety Personnel ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Safety Personnel

Public safety personnel (PSP; e.g., communications officials, corrections workers, firefighters, paramedics, and police officers) are at risk of developing mental health problems due to experiencing potentially psychologically traumatic events during their career. Research examining evidence-based treatments for psychological injuries resulting from operational duties (also known as operational stress injuries) has not yielded robust results that would indicate ongoing interventions as the best solution for managing PSP mental health injuries; as such, proactive psychological interventions designed to bolster resilience are being considered potentially beneficial for mitigating the impact of occupational stress on PSP. Despite the growing popularity of resilience programs, most are delivered in a single session after an event deemed particularly problematic with no follow-up. Longer interventions may better support sustained resiliency, mitigate the impact of operational stress, and increase positive PSP workplace outcomes. The current article introduces the Before Operational Stress (BOS) program, which was designed for delivery early in a PSP career to enhance self-awareness and healthy relationships. The year-long program is derived from cognitive behavior therapy and group therapeutic techniques to meet program objectives. The current BOS program evaluation demonstrated small, statistically significant improvements in symptoms of PTSD, quality of life, stigma, and perceived social support from baseline (Time 1) to 6 months (Time 4). There were also non-significant improvements observed in symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress, alcohol use, as well as in emotional regulation and resilience. Qualitative results indicated participants positively perceived the BOS program, with participants reporting specific improvements in self-awareness, avoidant behaviors, and relationships with family and colleagues. The BOS program content (e.g., functional disconnection and functional reconnection) and processes (e.g., psychoeducation within a supportive learning structure; mutually empowering group interactions) appear unique relative to other PSP resilience programs, with promising initial results in support of PSP mental health. Recommendations for future research and program development are provided.

scholarly journals How Have Public Safety Personnel Seeking Digital Mental Healthcare Been Affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic? An Exploratory Mixed Methods Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (24) ◽  
pp. 9319
Author(s):  
Hugh McCall ◽  
Janine Beahm ◽  
Caeleigh Landry ◽  
Ziyin Huang ◽  
R. Nicholas Carleton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Public Safety ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Mental Healthcare ◽  
Occupational Stressors ◽  
Public Safety Personnel ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Analyze Data ◽  
Safety Personnel

Public safety personnel (PSP) experience unique occupational stressors and suffer from high rates of mental health problems. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted virtually all aspects of human life around the world and has introduced additional occupational stressors for PSP. The objective of this study was to explore how PSP, especially those seeking digital mental health services, have been affected by the pandemic. Our research unit, PSPNET, provides internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy to PSP in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. When the pandemic spread to Saskatchewan, PSPNET began inquiring about the impact of the pandemic on prospective clients during the eligibility screening process. We used content analysis to analyze data from telephone screening interviews (n = 56) and descriptive statistics to analyze data from a questionnaire concerning the impacts of COVID-19 (n = 41). The results showed that most PSP reported facing several novel emotional challenges (e.g., social isolation, boredom, anger, and fear) and logistical challenges (e.g., related to childcare, finances, work, and access to mental healthcare). Most participants indicated they felt at least somewhat afraid of contracting COVID-19 but felt more afraid of their families contracting the virus than themselves. However, few participants reported severe challenges of any kind, and many (40%) indicated that they had not been significantly negatively impacted by the pandemic. Overall, the results suggest that PSP are not expressing significant concern at this time in meeting the novel challenges posed by COVID-19. Continued research will be required to monitor how diverse PSP populations and treatment outcomes are affected by the pandemic as the situation evolves.

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