Department of Psychology, University of Regina, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada.
Sych & Associates Psychological Services, Edmonton, AB T5M 2P6, Canada.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Apr 20;19(9):4976. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19094976.
Relative to the general population, public safety personnel (PSP) appear at an increased risk of developing mental health challenges as a result of repeated exposure to potentially psychologically traumatic events (PPTEs). To help mitigate the impact of PPTEs on PSP mental health, many PSP agencies have implemented diverse peer support despite limited empirical evidence. The current study was designed to expand the empirical evidence surrounding peer support by investigating one of the most widely used and structured peer support resources: Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM). Specifically, the current study with integrated firefighters and paramedics assessed (a) the prevalence of mental disorders; (b) perceptions of high fidelity CISM peer support; and (c) the comparative associations of CISM with high fidelity ( = 91) versus unknown fidelity ( = 60) versus no CISM ( = 64) and mental health. Results indicated that (a) mental disorders are prevalent among PSP irrespective of gender, age, and years of service; (b) participants perceived CISM peer support as offering beneficial and valuable tools (e.g., skills and coping strategies); and (c) high fidelity CISM environments offer some mental health benefits to individuals who screen positive for alcohol use disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. Overall, the current study offers novel information that can inform future directions for evidence-based peer support and policy decisions designed to support the mental health of PSP.
与一般人群相比，公共安全人员（PSP）由于反复接触潜在的心理创伤事件（PPTE），心理健康出现问题的风险增加。为了帮助减轻 PSP 心理健康受到 PPTE 的影响，许多 PSP 机构已经实施了各种同伴支持，尽管实证证据有限。本研究旨在通过调查最广泛使用和结构化的同伴支持资源之一：关键事件应激管理（CISM），来扩大关于同伴支持的实证证据。具体来说，这项针对综合消防员和护理人员的研究评估了：（a）精神障碍的患病率；（b）对高保真 CISM 同伴支持的看法；（c）CISM 与高保真（=91）、未知保真度（=60）和无 CISM（=64）与心理健康的比较关联。结果表明：（a）精神障碍在 PSP 中很普遍，无论性别、年龄和服务年限如何；（b）参与者认为 CISM 同伴支持提供了有益和有价值的工具（例如，技能和应对策略）；（c）高保真 CISM 环境为那些筛查出酒精使用障碍和广泛性焦虑障碍阳性的个体提供了一些心理健康益处。总的来说，本研究提供了新的信息，可以为基于证据的同伴支持和旨在支持 PSP 心理健康的政策决策提供未来方向。
