Mental Health Awareness for Emergency Responders

Resources

September 24, 2020

Resource: Blog Industry: EMS, Public Safety
Tags: EMS, Safety

Television and movies portray the life of a first responder as fast-paced, high stakes and full of adrenaline rushes as they easily move from life-saving event to another. What the media overlooks is the extreme emotional, physical and mental toll of the job. Emergency responders often deal with this in silence.

Vector Solutions’ new course, Mental Health Awareness for Emergency Responders, addresses the causes, symptoms and coping strategies for the most common mental health disorders for EMS professionals. This comprehensive training was created with veteran first responders to shine a light on the hidden struggles of this profession.

Addressing Mental Health in Public Safety Professionals

Emergency responders are exposed to high levels of uncertainty, a high potential for interpersonal tension and human tragedy. The amount of critical stress emergency responders face can negatively impact their overall health.

However, the stigma of mental health problems and fears of being perceived as unfit for the job often prevent EMS providers from speaking out. This is why it’s important for an organization to create a culture that supports and encourages personnel.

JEMS reported from a survey by Ambulance Service Manager that “a supportive and encouraging environment cut suicide contemplation rates in half and attempt rates by 66%.”

About the Course

Mental Health Awareness for Emergency Responders discusses the unique truths of a career in public safety and how they affect a first responder’s mental health. Additionally, lifestyle causes linked to the profession are explained such as higher rates of divorce, chronic stress, a lack of rest and financial problems. The course covers common mental health disorders such as burnout, depression and PTSD. Using animated demonstrations, this course identifies warning signs and symptoms of these disorders and healthy coping strategies. Interviews about the experiences of veteran first responders also reinforce the importance of this topic.

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

  • Explain five unique aspects of a career as an EMS provider
  • Understand how workplace culture affects whether or not first responders seek help when needed
  • Describe mental health disorders that might affect a first responder
  • Describe statistics that relate to the mental health of first responders
  • Explain methods first responders can use to protect their mental health
  • Identify resources for obtaining help in dealing with mental health issues

To learn more about TargetSolutions’ EMS training, please visit our EMS course catalog or contact us today (800) 840-8048!

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