Symposia
Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders and Disasters
Angela Moreland, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Medical University of South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Firefighters are exposed to a significant level of potentially traumatic events, including catastrophic injuries to self, coworkers, and victims, rendering aid to seriously injured or vulnerable victims, and exposure to death and dying (Meyer et al., 2012). In addition to their heightened risk of sustaining physical consequences, firefighters are at significantly increased risk for psychological concerns including PTSD, substance use, depression, sleep problems, and suicide compared to the general population. Firefighters are three times more likely to develop PTSD than the general population, with prevalence among firefighters ranging from 17-22% compared to the general population prevalence rates of 1-8% (Berger et al., 2012; Hauffa et al., 2011; Lee et al., 2014). These rates vary depending on years of service, as firefighters who have been in the service longer report higher PTSD symptoms than those with fewer years as a firefighter (Nydegger et al., 2011). Approximately 56% of firefighters report binge alcohol drinking behavior, while 14% report hazardous drinking behavior (Carey et al., 2011). Firefighters also experience higher rates of depression than the general population, with rates ranging from 10% to nearly 40% of current and retired firefighters meeting criteria for depression (Hom et al., 2016). Relatedly, nearly 60% of firefighters report significant sleep deprivation (Carey et al., 2011). As many as 53% of current and retired firefighters report difficulties with insomnia, while an additional 19.2% report nightmares (Hom et al., 2016).
It is important to acknowledge and address the increased behavioral health needs of firefighters due to the likelihood of repeated exposure to traumatic events while on duty. This presentation will describe findings from three large scale studies that include quantitative findings (n=4,312 firefighters) and results from qualitative interviews with 24 firefighters to determine rates of behavioral health concerns and recommendations. We will also display and provide recommendations about a suite of mobile apps and web-based resources to help officers, peers, family members, and friends support firefighters to overcome their resistance to help seeking and finding their way to the help they need with providers who understand firefighter culture.