Operational Stress Disorder & Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Resources
Peer Support and Crisis-Focused Psychological Intervention Programs in Canadian First Responders: Blue Paper
Results from a review conducted by a team of researchers at the University of Regina have shown that there is an urgent need for more research on the effectiveness of peer support and crisis-focused psychological intervention programsdesigned to help First Responders — police, paramedics, and fire and rescue personnel — cope with the trauma often associated with their work. The Blue Paper was published by a research team led by Dr. Shadi Beshai and Dr. R. Nicholas Carleton with the Canadian Institute for Public Safety Research and Treatment (CIPSRT).
The “operational stressors” that First Responders regularly confront at work, including death, violence, and threats to their own lives, put them at risk for psychological challenges, including post-traumatic stress, depression, anxiety, and anger. Such challengescan lead to other problems, such as substance abuse, relationship difficulties, and absenteeism.
View the executive summary here Download the full report
Les programmes de soutien par les pairs et les programmes d’intervention psychologique en situation de crise destinés aux premiers répondants canadiens : Blue Paper
Vous pouvez consulter un résumé du Blue Paper ici
Vous pouvez consulter le texte intégral du document ici document
On the economics of post-traumatic stress disorder among first responders in Canada
Authours: Dr. Stuart Wilson, Dr. Harminder Guliani, Dr. Georgi Boichev, University of Regina, Department of Economics
ABSTRACT Journal of CSWB. 2016 Aug;1(2):26-31 https://www.journalcswb.ca
There is an increasing awareness of the tragic consequences of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among first responders in Canada. There is also an increasing awareness of the lack of understanding about the economic and social costs of PTSD in Canada. This article aims to briefly review the current evidence on the prevalence rates of PTSD, the economic costs associated with PTSD, and the costs and efficacy of various treatment strategies, to provide a framework for future research on the economic analysis of PTSD. Estimates suggest that as many as 2.5 million adult Canadians and 70,000 Canadian first responders have suffered from PTSD in their lifetimes. While we could not find any evidence on the economic cost of PTSD specifically, a recent estimate suggests that mental illness in the Canadian labour force results in productivity losses of $21 billion each year. Research from Australia suggests that expanded mental health care may improve the benefits of treatment over traditional care, and more cost-effectively. Given the methodological challenges in the existing studies and the paucity of evidence on Canada, more Canadian studies on prevalence, on the economic and social costs of PTSD, and on the costs and effectiveness of various treatment options are encouraged.
The full article is available at no charge, registration required, from the Journal of Community Safety and Wellbeing