PTSD in first responders at record levels: Black Dog Institute calls for urgent action

Global rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among emergency service workers are now higher than ever before, according to Black Dog Institute research.

It found that 1 in 7 first responders has probable PTSD as a result of routine duties, a figure substantially higher than previous estimates of 1 in 10. Further, 1 in 12 first responders have probable PTSD specifically related to responding to disasters.

These numbers should be of significant concern to governments and communities around the world, including in Australia, who rely on the ability of first responders to deliver crucial services that save lives, according to the institute, which noted that PTSD is associated with not only serious impacts on quality of life but also high levels of burnout and incapacity that can deplete this vital workforce.

“The public relies on first responders during times of crisis, but right now, the mental health services available to this vital community are stretched very thin,” said Dr Andrew Arena, a postdoctoral research fellow at Black Dog Institute and the study’s lead author.

“There is an urgent need for targeted, evidence-based support that can reduce trauma–related harm among these essential workers.”

The study is the most comprehensive review of its kind and provides a detailed snapshot of first responder PTSD between 2008 and now. 

One of the most concerning findings is that rates of PTSD have worsened for a majority of first responders despite significant international investment into the occupational mental health of this population. 

In part, Arena said, this can be attributed to ongoing stigma around help-seeking within the first responder community and the accumulated stress on these workers resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and increasing natural disasters.

“Further, despite robust research from Black Dog Institute and other organisations that clearly identify trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) as the gold-standard treatments for this population, models of care that promote good access to these evidence-based treatments are very limited in many countries around the world,” Dr Arena said.

This article was published on the AIHS website