Firefighting and mental health: Experiences of repeated exposure to trauma
Open accessAbstract
Background Firefighters must be ready to respond to a broad range of emergencies every duty day. In the course of many of these emergencies, firefighters witness events which have the potential to induce emotional trauma, such as badly injured people, deceased children, and individuals who are highly distraught. Previous research suggests that repeated exposure to these traumas (RET) may have negative impacts on the emotional and mental health of fire service personnel. Research on the mental health of firefighters has been limited to small surveys reporting the prevalence of specific mental health problems such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder among firefighters. Objective Despite the likelihood that RET leads to negative outcomes in firefighters, data is lacking on how exposure impacts fire service personnel. The current study examines the experiences of firefighters related to RET. Methods Using formative research methods, we examined the beliefs and experiences of firefighters and administrators from across the United States regarding the impact of RET on firefighter health. Results Study findings highlight the cumulative psychological toll of repeated exposure to traumatic events including desensitization, flashbacks, and irritability. Conclusion Results of the current study suggest that RET is a significant concern for emergency responders that warrants additional research and attention. It is likely that the long term consequences of RET are closely int…
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Firefighters are repeatedly exposed to traumatic and stressful situations, increasing their vulnerability for the development of various psychological symptoms and disorders.
“Firefighters are repeatedly exposed to traumatic and stressful situations, increasing their vulnerability for the development of various psychological symptoms and disorders [1].”
From Mindful attention training workshop for firefighters: Design and methodology of a pilot randomized clinical trial (2022) · cites this paper as [1]
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- Authors
- Jahnke, S. A., Poston, W. S. C., Haddock, C. K., & Murphy, B.
- Affiliations
- National Development and Research Institutes (US)
- Integrative Mental Health and Wellness, Bellevue, WA, USA
- Venue
- Work
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2016-04-15
- Volume
- 53
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 737-744
- ISSN
- 1051-9815 (ISSN-L)
- 1875-9270
- OpenAlex
- W2340098190
- Cited by
- 152
- References
- 5
- Citations by year
- 2026: 12 · 2025: 26 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 24 · 2022: 20 · 2021: 24 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 13 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 1
- FWCI
- 10.70
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- zenodo.org
- Licence
- cc-by
- Locations
- Work (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) (acceptedVersion, cc-by)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Occupational Therapy › Occupational Health and Performance
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Stress and Burnout Research
- Keywords
- firefighters, workplace mental health, psychological trauma, desensitization, flashbacks, irritability, first responders, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, well-being
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Psychological, Adult, Depression, Female, Humans, Male, Mental Health, Middle Aged, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, United States, Wounds and Injuries, Prevalence, Firefighters
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