Public Safety Personnel’s interpretations of potentially traumatic events

Abstract

Background Many public safety personnel (PSP) experience trauma directly or indirectly in their occupational role, yet there remain barriers to accessing care or seeking help. Aims To understand how PSP interpret different potentially traumatic events and how perceived eligibility for being traumatized is determined among PSP. Methods We analysed open-ended comments provided by over 800 PSP in a survey designed to assess the prevalence of post-traumatic stress injuries and other mental disorders. Results We found evidence that a trauma hierarchy may exist among PSP. Certain experiences may be interpreted as more traumatic, based on both the event and the PSP role in the actual event. For example, involvement in a shooting may be interpreted as more traumatic than arriving on the scene later. Similarly, a single event may be deemed more traumatic than an accumulation of events. The role of the individual and social context in shaping experiences and interpretations of trauma may be largely ignored in line with confirmation biases. Conclusions The role that individuals and social contexts play in shaping experiences and interpretations of trauma appear suppressed by perceptions of a trauma hierarchy, facilitating systematic discrediting or valuation of some experiences, therein evidencing that trauma is subjective and reinforcing barriers to care seeking. A trauma hierarchy may also propagate stigma and legitimize discrimination regarding mental health. We argue that recognizing, engaging with, and dismantling the perception of a trauma hierarchy may help create a respectful and open occupational culture supportive of mental health needs.

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

“…The results are generally consistent with previous results for correctional workers from the current sample ( 6 , 14 , 16 , 28 ). The current paper provides novel and important results indicating significant and substantial differences between correctional officers and wellness services employees.…”

“…The nature, severity, and frequency of PPTE exposures, as well as occupation type and occupational stressors, have all been associated with diverse rates of PTSD ( 2 , 6 , 15 ). In a recent study, the most common event identified by communications officials, correctional workers, paramedics, and police officers as being the worst event they had ever experienced was sudden violent death ( 6 , 16 ).…”

Understanding Needs, Breaking Down Barriers: Examining Mental Health Challenges and Well-Being of Correctional Staff in Ontario, Canada

“…Such work can affect all those working in correctional services, beyond those who appear to work in direct and frequent contact with prisoners. Correctional services workers employed in institutional, community, or administrative roles share experiences of either direct (e.g., witnessing, intervening in incidents) or indirect (e.g., report reading) exposures to potentially psychologically traumatic events ( Perez et al, 2010 ; Bierie, 2012a ; Carleton et al, 2019 ; Ricciardelli and Power, 2020 ; Ricciardelli et al, 2020 ). Despite variation in the degree of exposure, experiencing potentially psychologically traumatic events in whatever form appears associated with an increased risk of screening positive for a mental disorder ( Carleton et al, 2018a , b ; Ricciardelli et al, 2018a , b ).…”

Canadian Public Safety Personnel and Occupational Stressors: How PSP Interpret Stressors on Duty

“…Relative to the general population, public safety personnel (PSP) [e.g., border services officers, public safety communications officials, correctional workers, firefighters (career and volunteer), Indigenous emergency managers, operational intelligence personnel, paramedics, police] [ 1 , 2 ] appear at increased risk for compromised physical [ 3 ], psychological [ 4 ], and emotional [ 5 ] well-being. The increased risk PSP experience is due, at least in part, to potentially psychologically traumatic event (PPTE) [ 2 ] exposures [ 6 , 7 ]. PPTEs refer to actual or threatened incidents of compromised physical, sexual, and mental well-being (e.g., acts of violence, fires, accidents resulting in fatalities, and explosions) [ 1 , 6 , 8 , 9 ].…”

“…PPTEs refer to actual or threatened incidents of compromised physical, sexual, and mental well-being (e.g., acts of violence, fires, accidents resulting in fatalities, and explosions) [ 1 , 6 , 8 , 9 ]. Exposure to one or more PPTEs is common (i.e., 89.7%) in the general population [ 10 ]; however, most PSP report repeated exposures (i.e., more than 11 exposures over their lives) to diverse types of PPTE, with some PSP reporting more exposures than they can count [ 6 , 7 ]. Carleton et al [ 4 , 11 ] highlighted that PSP report symptoms consistent with various mental health disorders at higher rates than expected for the general population.…”