The Canadian Institute for Public Safety Research and Treatment (CIPSRT), with contribution from USGE, released yesterday the results of a year-long national mental health study of public safety personnel in Canada. The study, entitled “Mental Disorder symptoms among Public Safety Personnel in Canada” reveals that a high proportion of public safety personnel report symptoms consistent with one or more mental disorders including anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
CIPSRT’s study echoes the findings of USGE’s “Moving Forward” report released in June 2017, which found that many members are suffering from similar symptoms as a result of the constant exposure to direct and second-hand trauma at work.
Between September 2016 and January 2017, 6,000 public safety workers across the country, including many USGE members, completed the CIPSRT survey. USGE National President Stan Stapleton, as a member of CIPSRT’s steering committee, was instrumental in extending the scope of the study ensure that the experiences of our members were well represented in the research project.
USGE continues to serve on CIPSRT’s steering committee and is committed to representing members’ interests in any future research initiatives.
For more information, see:
CIPSRT study: Mental Disorder Symptoms among Public Safety Personnel in Canada
CBC article: Researchers find significantly higher rate of mental disorders among first responders
USGE’s report: Moving Forward: A report on the invisible toll of psychological trauma on federal public safety workers