Supporting the mental health of young adult emergency service volunteers through research-backed resources

New research has developed a suite of resources that provide a practical and evidence-based starting point for supporting and promoting the positive mental health and wellbeing of young adult emergency service volunteers.

These mental health and wellbeing resources were developed as part of the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC’s Tactical Research Fund program. They were designed to support the positive mental health and wellbeing of young adult volunteers by improving mental health literacy and establishing stronger support networks within emergency service agencies.

The research project, Positive mental health in young adult emergency services personnel, was led by Dr Amanda Taylor at the University of Adelaide and was a partnership with Flinders University, the University of Western Australia, the University of British Columbia in Canada, the Hospital Research Foundation, AFAC, Military and Emergency Services Health Australia (MESHA), several key emergency service agencies and the young adult members of the project’s Young Volunteers Advisory Committee.

“This study is the first in Australia to focus specifically on the mental health needs of young adult fire and emergency service volunteers aged 16 to 25,” said Dr Taylor.

“The resources developed from this research include both simple practical strategies for young volunteers to support their own mental health and wellbeing, as well as a Wellbeing Framework and Implementation Guide for fire and emergency agencies to better support younger volunteers.

“Most importantly, these resources have been designed by subject matter experts across Australia together with fire and emergency agencies and the young volunteers themselves, which is a unique way of ensuring that they are understandable and relevant to those who will be using them,” Dr Taylor said.

The suite of resources includes the Care4Guide, a practical self-completed guide designed with and for young fire and emergency service volunteers to maintain their positive mental health and wellbeing. The guidance provided by the study’s Young Volunteers Advisory Committee, was critical to the project, explained Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC CEO Dr Richard Thornton.

“The Care4Guide gives young volunteers, their agencies and the whole fire and emergency sector the tools they need to have a conversation about mental health early in their engagement,” Dr Richard Thornton said.

Other resources include an Agency Implementation Guide aimed at agency leaders, fact sheets that summarise key findings, and shareable assets such as posters and social media graphics that emergency service agencies can use to promote positive mental health within brigades, groups and units. All resources are available on the CRC’s website and will benefit not only all emergency services, but will also contribute more widely to the sustainability of Australia’s critical volunteer service and emergency sector.

AFAC CEO Stuart Ellis said that it is the duty of emergency service agencies to meet the commitment of young volunteers with appropriate and relevant support.

“Volunteering is a rewarding venture in and of itself, and this research shows us that young volunteers’ sense of wellbeing is improved through their participation, and their service to their communities is invaluable to the fire and emergency services sector,” he said.

“However, we cannot ignore the risks. Their willingness to step up for their communities must be reciprocated by fire and emergency services through mental health and wellbeing support.”

The resources developed through the research will be valuable for years to come, explained Dr Miranda Van Hooff, Executive Director of MESHA.

“The Hospital Research Foundation Group, through MESHA, is proud to have co-funded and collaborated on this important piece of research, which will have a positive impact on the young people who serve our community.

“We hope the practical and tailored resources that have been developed can be utilised by both young emergency services volunteers as well as their agencies to promote and support the health and wellbeing of our young emergency service volunteers now and into the future,” Dr Van Hooff said.

Access the full suite of mental health and wellbeing resources here, while the full project report is also available here.

Key research findings:

• Volunteer exposure to potentially traumatising events is common.
• 25% of young volunteers had experienced an event that affected them deeply during their volunteering. 4 in 5 young firefighters had experienced at least one stressful event in the course of their role.
• 75% of surveyed volunteers had an active role in the 2019–20 Australian bushfires. 44% lived in a bushfire affected area.
• Young volunteers generally perceived that their volunteer role benefited their wellbeing via a sense of contributing to the community.
• Young volunteers have higher levels of ­­probable post-traumatic stress disorder (8.8%) compared to older volunteers (4.7%).
• Young volunteers believed that they had good skills for identifying and responding to potential mental health concerns in others but had less well-developed skills for identifying mental health concerns in themselves.
• Young volunteers perceived mental health-related stigma is still present within many brigades, groups and units, particularly among older volunteers and personnel.

The research team for this project comprised Dr Amanda Taylor, Dr Jane Cocks (University of Adelaide); Prof Sharon Lawn (Flinders University); A/Prof David Lawrence, Wavne Rikkers (University of Western Australia); Dr Louise Roberts (Flinders University); A/Prof Maureen Ashe (University of British Columbia, University of Adelaide); A/Prof Rachel Roberts, Prof Alexander McFarlane, Prof Paul Delfabbro, Holly Caruso (University of Adelaide); and Dr Miranda Van Hooff (Military and Emergency Services Health Australia, Hospital Research Group, University of Adelaide).