Supporting the Mental Health and Well-Being of First Responders from Career to Retirement: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Introduction: First responders are at greater risk of mental ill health and compromised well-being compared to the general population. It is important to identify strategies that will be effective in supporting mental health, both during and after the first responder’s career. Methods: A scoping review was conducted using the PubMed database (1966 to October 1, 2020) and the Google Scholar database (October 1, 2020) using relevant search terms, truncation symbols, and Boolean combination functions. The reference lists of all relevant publications were also reviewed to identify further publications. Results: A total of 172 publications were retrieved by the combined search strategies. Of these, 56 met the inclusion criteria and informed the results of this overview paper. These publications identified that strategies supporting first responder mental health and well-being need to break down stigma and build resilience. Normalizing conversations around mental health is integral for increasing help-seeking behaviors, both during a first responder’s career and in retirement. Organizations should consider the implementation of both pre-retirement and post-retirement support strategies to improve mental health and well-being. Conclusion: Strategies for supporting mental health and well-being need to be implemented early in the first responder career and reinforced throughout and into retirement. They should utilize holistic approaches which encourage “reaching in” rather than placing an onus on first responders to “reach out” when they are in crisis.

Occupation-Induced Fatigue and Impacts on Emergency First Responders: A Systematic Review

“…Additionally, those with a mental health concern were more likely to be fatigued [41,69,73] creating a further downward spiral. Several authors in this review reported high numbers of depression, anxiety, and emotional trauma [41,60,73,76] at levels which exceed the general population [127]. Unfortunately, mental health concerns and fatigue may be further impacted by insomnia [60].…”

Resilience Intervention for Disaster Responders in Southeast Asia (SEA): A Scoping Review Protocol

“…A preliminary search of MEDLINE, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and JBI Evidence Synthesis was conducted, and no current or underway systematic reviews or scoping reviews were identified specifically on intervention to boost the resilience of disaster responders in Southeast Asia. The previous reviews (Baetzner et al, 2022;Blessin et al, 2022;Hooper et al, 2021;Smith et al, 2021) have touched on aspects of mental health support, training programs, and psychological impact of disaster, yet they have not specifically focused on disaster responders or SEA as a combine and specific cultural context. It is becoming more and more obvious how important it is to investigate and comprehend resilience strategies designed specifically for the difficulties that Southeast Asian disaster professionals encounter.…”

A Pilot Study of a Trauma Resiliency Protocol for Law Enforcement Officers With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms

“…[1][2][3] Historically, leaders and managers within these occupations have not taken PTSD and its effects on frontline employees seriously. 4,5 That has begun to change in recent years, due in part to the effects of suicides among current and former first responders and military personnel suffering from PTSD due to job-related trauma. [6][7][8] A growing body of scientific research evidence has emerged on the etiology, prevalence, and effects of PTSD within these high-risk occupations.…”

“…It is known to be particularly prominent among certain high-risk groups, including first responders and military combat personnel 1–3 . Historically, leaders and managers within these occupations have not taken PTSD and its effects on frontline employees seriously 4,5 . That has begun to change in recent years, due in part to the effects of suicides among current and former first responders and military personnel suffering from PTSD due to job-related trauma 6–8 …”