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Published VersionCC BY-NC-ND V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
Mental health disorder symptom changes among public safety personnel after emotional resilience skills training
Comprehensive Psychiatry, Vol.138, pp.1-19
2025
PMID: 39923735
Appears in Thompson Institute Research Collection
Abstract
Objectives
Public safety personnel (PSP) are frequently exposed to psychologically traumatic events. The exposures potentiate posttraumatic stress injuries (PTSIs), including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Protocol was designed to mitigate PTSIs using ongoing monitoring and PSP-delivered Emotional Resilience Skills Training (ERST) based on the Unified Protocol for the Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders. The current study pilot-tested ERST effectiveness among diverse PSP.
Methods
A 16-month longitudinal design engaged serving PSP (n = 119; 34 % female; firefighters, municipal police, paramedics, public safety communicators) who completed PSP-delivered ERST. Participants were assessed for symptoms of PTSIs, including but not limited to PTSD, at pre- and post-training, and 1-year follow-up using self-report measures and clinical interviews.
Results
There were reductions in self-report and clinical diagnostic interview positive screens for PTSD and other PTSI from pre- to post-training (ps < 0.05), with mental health sustained or improved at 1-year follow-up. Improvements were observed among firefighters (Cohen's d = 0.40 to 0.71), police (Cohen's d = 0.28 to 0.38), paramedics (Cohen's d = 0.20 to 0.56), and communicators (Cohen's d = 0.05 to 0.14).
Conclusion
Ongoing monitoring and PSP-delivered ERST, can produce small to large mental health improvements among diverse PSP, or mitigate PSP mental health challenges, with variations influenced by pre-training factors and organizational supports. ERST replication and extension research appears warranted.
Trial registration
Hypotheses Registration: aspredicted.org, #90136. Registered 7 March 2022 - Prospectively registered. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05530642.
Details
- Title
- Mental health disorder symptom changes among public safety personnel after emotional resilience skills training
- Authors
- R.N. Carleton (Corresponding Author) - University of ReginaS. Sauer-Zavala - University of KentuckyT.A. Teckchandani - University of ReginaK.Q. Maguire - University of ReginaL. Jamshidi - University of Wisconsin–MilwaukeeR.E. Shields - University of ReginaT.O. Afifi - University of ManitobaJ. Nisbet - University of ReginaK.L. Andrews - University of ReginaS.H. Stewart - Dalhousie UniversityA.J. Fletcher - University of ReginaR. Martin - University of ReginaR.S. MacPhee - Wilfrid Laurier UniversityJ.C. MacDermid - Western UniversityT.M. Keane - National Center for PTSDA. Brunet - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Thompson InstituteM. McCarron - Saskatchewan HealthL.M. Lix - University of ManitobaN.A. Jones - University of ReginaG.P. Krätzig - University of ReginaJ.P. Neary - University of ReginaG. Anderson - Thompson Rivers UniversityR. Ricciardelli - Memorial University of NewfoundlandH. Cramm - Queen's UniversityJ. Sareen - University of ManitobaG.J.G. Asmundson - University of Regina
- Publication details
- Comprehensive Psychiatry, Vol.138, pp.1-19
- Publisher
- Elsevier Inc.
- Date published
- 2025
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.comppsych.2025.152580
- ISSN
- 1532-8384; 0010-440X
- PMID
- 39923735
- Copyright note
- © 2025 Published by Elsevier Inc. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
- Data Availability
- The datasets presented in this article are not readily available because the datasets will be made available only for independent confirmation purposes and only to persons with the necessary ethical and security clearances as defined by the research ethics board at the University of Regina. Requests regarding the datasets can be made to Nick.Carleton@uregina.ca.
- Grant note
- The current study was supported by a Canadian Institutes of Health Research Team Grant (CIHR FRN: 171645) for Mental Wellness in Public Safety, with additional financial support from the Saskatchewan Ministry of Justice and Attorney General. T. O. Afifi is supported by a Tier I Canada Research Chair in Childhood Adversity and Resilience. L. M. Lix is supported by a Tier I Canada Research Chair in Methods for Electronic Health Data Quality. R. Ricciardelli is supported by a Canada Research Chair in Safety, Security, and Wellness. S. H. Stewart's is supported by a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Addictions and Mental Health.
- Organisation Unit
- Thompson Institute
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991105842302621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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