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For the first time, a nationwide research project investigated the mental health and wellbeing of Australia’s emergency service staff and volunteers. Beyond Blue in collaboration with the CRC, surveyed 20,000 current and former personnel from 33 police and emergency organisations across Australia about their mental health and risk of suicide.
The final report, Answering the Call, is available on the Beyond Blue website.
A Hazard Note, summarising the main findings, is also available.
It was the first time data is being collected on a national scale from police and emergency service organisations. The research was conducted in three phases after qualitative analysis was gathered by Beyond Blue in phase one during 2016.
Police and emergency service workers were surveyed about their wellbeing; common mental health conditions; suicide risk; stigma; help-seeking behaviour; and factors supporting, or jeopardising, mental health in the workplace.
This project provides important information to understand both the number of people affected and the range of issues they face.
Initial findings from phase one suggest:
- the nature of the stigma associated with mental health conditions differs across police, fire and rescue and ambulance services;
- although exposure to trauma is seen as an underlying cause for post-traumatic stress disorder, workplace culture and practices also contribute to the prevalence of mental health conditions;
- working in police and emergency services, particularly for volunteers, can support workers’ mental health.
Evidence-based strategies will be developed to individuals, improve organisational culture and address systemic concerns that impact on mental health and wellbeing across the sector nationally. They will be developed in collaboration with a cross-section of the police and emergency services sector including agencies, unions, government departments, individuals and family and community groups around Australia.
Date | Title | Download | Key Topics |
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07 Jul 2017 | Lightning presentation: promoting mental health and wellbeing in the emergency services setting |
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mental health, resilience, risk management |
31 Aug 2017 | Fire Australia Issue Three 2017 |
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child-centred, prescribed burning, severe weather |
07 Sep 2017 | Beyondblue national mental health and wellbeing study of police and emergency services |
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mental health, volunteering, vulnerability |
29 Nov 2018 | Mental health needs of first responders |
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mental health, resilience, risk management |
08 May 2019 | Rescuers at Risk - the mental health and wellbeing of emergency services RAF May 2019 |
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emergency management, mental health |
01 Dec 2020 | Answering the call | mental health, resilience, risk management |