Association between physical activity and mental health among first responders with different service roles.

Meckes, Samantha J.; McDonald, Mollie A.; Lancaster, Carol

doi:10.1037/tra0000971

Cited by 9 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 46 publications

(92 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The fourth observational study (52) showed no relationship between physical activity and PTSD symptoms among a predominantly asymptomatic sample. This study was cross-sectional in design, whereas to the other three observational studies were longitudinal.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…An observational study was conducted in 2021 to examine the interaction effect of service role (traditional vs emotional support first responders) and physical activity on mental health outcomes (52). In this study, traditional first responders were defined as police officers, firefighters, and paramedics, whereas emotional first responders were defined as those providing emotional support on scene, e.g., providing psychological support to family members immediately after a suicide.…”

Section: Observational Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Exercise and PTSD Symptoms in Emergency Service and Frontline Medical Workers: A Systematic Review

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The COVID-19 pandemic has drawn increasing attention to the occupational stressors experienced by the health and medical professionals at the frontline of the pandemic (1-3). Traditional emergency service workers (police, fire, and ambulance) as well as frontline medical staff, including nurses and emergency doctors, work in highly unpredictable environments and are regularly exposed to physically and emotionally demanding conditions and potentially traumatic events as part of their occupation (4). This ongoing, chronic exposure to potentially traumatic events increases the risk of mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (5-7). According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), the diagnosis of PTSD is characterized by four broad symptom clusters that include intense reliving of the traumatic event through disruptive memories and nightmares, avoidance of reminders of the event, negative cognitions and mood, and hyperarousal (8). It is estimated that 1 in 10 active emergency service workers (9), one in six retired emergency personnel (10), one in five frontline health workers, including nurses (11), and one in six emergency doctors (12) meet criteria for PTSD. Current PTSD treatment guidelines are focused on symptom reduction, with first-line treatments involving cognitive behavioral therapies and pharmacotherapy (13,14). There is, however, increasing recognition that not all people with PTSD benefit from available treatments, with efficacy of existing treatments often limited by cost, availability, and stigma preventing help-seeking behavior (15). Treatment outcomes are usually worse among those regularly exposed to trauma, such as emergency and frontline workers, as opposed to those with a single exposure (16).

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Section: Observational Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exercise and PTSD Symptoms in Emergency Service and Frontline Medical Workers: A Systematic Review

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…It was found that first responders in North America have a higher PA level than first responders in Europe (Figure 4). The North American study included traditional and emotional support first responders (Meckes et al, 2020), and the European study examined fire fighters (Turner et al, 2018). The average MET values could be higher among North American first responders, since the study included police officers and Trauma Intervention Program volunteers (Meckes et al, 2020).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The North American study included traditional and emotional support first responders (Meckes et al, 2020), and the European study examined fire fighters (Turner et al, 2018). The average MET values could be higher among North American first responders, since the study included police officers and Trauma Intervention Program volunteers (Meckes et al, 2020). Also, the European study included emergency control and administrative service workers, which may have similar PA to populations within office and administrative support (Turner et al, 2018).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Systematic Review and Comparison of Physical Activity Variations Among Global Worker Populations

Stribling

Gonzales

Cha

2022

Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

There are varying levels of physical activity between different occupations, and these levels for the same job can differ among global populations. The purpose of this review was to identify and compare physical activity among occupations and across countries, grouped as continents. A systematic review was conducted adhering to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Five databases were searched, and 10,923 articles were systematically reviewed. Twelve studies were included based on reported measurements of physical activity in metabolic equivalents (METs) using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Preliminary results show that healthcare practitioners report the highest levels of physical activity. It was found that occupations in Europe reported the greatest mean MET of all continents included in this study. These results can be used to build a database of physical activity levels of different work populations and regions for researchers and practitioners to use for benchmarking.

show abstract

“…Relevant measures analyzed for the present study are listed in the Measures section. For other studies published from this larger dataset (see McDonald et al, 2020; Meckes et al, 2021). Participants who completed the full battery of questionnaires were compensated with a $20 electronic gift card (Amazon or Visa).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The protective effects of perceived cohesion on the mental health of first responders.

Smirnova¹,

Meckes²,

Lancaster³

2022

Psychological Services

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

First responders are repeatedly exposed to traumatic and stressful situations. Perceived cohesion can mitigate the potentially harmful psychological impact of these stressors. While the positive effects of cohesion have been established in other trauma-exposed populations such as the military, these effects have not been examined in first responders. Furthermore, prior studies have not ruled out the possibility that perceived cohesion may be acting as a proxy for another well-established protective factor, social support. We therefore examined how perceived cohesion among first responder organizations impacts psychological health and resilience, even after accounting for the effects of social support. First responders (N = 182) completed measures of perceived cohesion, social support, psychological symptoms (including depression, stress, anxiety, posttraumatic stress symptoms, secondary traumatic stress symptoms, and burnout), and psychological resilience. Even after controlling for social support, perceived cohesion was associated with lower levels of psychological symptoms (β = −.18 to −.33; p < .05; for secondary traumatic stress, posttraumatic stress, depression, and each facet of burnout) and higher levels of resilience (β = .37; p < .05). These results suggest that perceived cohesion promotes psychological health among first responders, even after controlling for social support. Thus, perceived cohesion does not seem to be acting as a mere proxy for social support. Further examination of how perceived cohesion benefits first responders could lay the groundwork for interventions to improve their mental health and psychological resilience. Impact StatementPerceived cohesion was associated with higher psychological resilience and lower psychological symptoms among first responders, a group regularly exposed to potentially stressful and traumatic events. Therefore, it may be useful to examine whether interventions that foster cohesion among first responders could be used to improve their psychological health and resilience.

show abstract

Association between physical activity and mental health among first responders with different service roles.

Cited by 9 publications

References 46 publications

Exercise and PTSD Symptoms in Emergency Service and Frontline Medical Workers: A Systematic Review

Exercise and PTSD Symptoms in Emergency Service and Frontline Medical Workers: A Systematic Review

Systematic Review and Comparison of Physical Activity Variations Among Global Worker Populations

The protective effects of perceived cohesion on the mental health of first responders.

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About