Suicidal thoughts and behaviors among women firefighters: An examination of associated features and comparison of pre-career and career prevalence rates

Anxiety sensitivity and suicide risk among firefighters: A test of the depression-distress amplification model

“…Firefighters, as noted, represent a segment of the U.S. population at increased risk for suicide [2–5]. Understanding the role of transdiagnostic vulnerability factors, such as AS, in suicide risk formulation may have particular relevance to this population.…”

“…Martin et al [4] examined 3036 firefighters from a single large, urban fire department and found rates of career suicidal ideation and attempts to be 9.8% and 1.4%, respectively. 1 Finally, a study of women firefighters found rates of career suicidal ideation and attempts to be 37.7% and 3.5%, respectively [5]. Converging research has highlighted that protective service workers, a category inclusive of firefighters, evince relatively higher rates of death by suicide [6,7], underscoring the need to understand factors that may amplify suicide risk among firefighters in order to inform prevention and intervention efforts.…”

Exposure to suicide and suicide bereavement among women firefighters: Associated suicidality and psychiatric symptoms

“…Bryan et al (2017) additionally found that greater perceived closeness to the decedent was associated with increased risk of reporting a lifetime suicide attempt. In terms of future risk, Hom et al's (2017) study demonstrated that greater interpersonal closeness to a decedent was associated with a greater self-reported likelihood of making a future suicide attempt, even after controlling for the effects of current suicidal symptoms and prior suicidality. These findings signal the profound impact that the loss of a close loved one to suicide may have on military service members' and veterans' own mental health.…”

“…This study is a subset of a larger investigation of women firefighter behavioral health (N = 313; Stanley, Hom, Spencer-Thomas, & Joiner, 2017). Only participants who answered the initial question assessing exposure to suicide (n = 266)…”

“…responding to suicide deaths; Kimbrel et al, 2016). Second, firefighters represent an occupational group at elevated risk for suicide (Stanley, Hom, & Joiner, 2016;Stanley, Hom, Hagan, & Joiner, 2015;Stanley, Hom, Spencer-Thomas, & Joiner, 2017). Women firefighters, in particular, may be at increased suicide risk, with a recent CDC report revealing that women protective service workers, a group inclusive of firefighters, die by suicide at higher rates than women workers in any other occupational group (McIntosh et al, 2016).…”