Purpose

This study is designed to test a mental health assessment and training program developed to strengthen the mental health resilience of public safety personnel (PSP) including public-safety communicators, firefighters, paramedics, and police, and to provide psychological safety training for their leadership.  The PSP groups include a diverse set of professionals whose mental health is at increased risk for posttraumatic stress injuries (PTSIs); however, there has been very little research to determine effective ways for mitigating PTSIs among PSP.  The study is designed to test several variables thought to be associated with mental health risk, resilience, and recovery.

Potential Benefits

The study will increase our understanding of risk and resiliency related to symptoms of PTSIs and contribute to the development of future training and treatment.  Regular monitoring of mental health and activity typically improves ones’ mental health; as such, a key potential benefit for all participants should be improvements to their mental health.  Survey and clinical interview results combined with physiological monitoring, should also provide important information allowing participants to identify trends and tailor activities allowing them to access help faster and make better personal choices for their own mental health and well-being.  What this means is that recovery times should be faster for those who experience a mental health injury, while the study benefits by obtaining information to create supportive programs for helping others.

Participant Involvement and Activities

Participants will complete initial surveys and clinical interviews at the beginning of the study, then annual surveys and interviews for the next one and a half years.  Daily and monthly surveys will also be completed along with the data collected by a seismocardiography device.