The results of a survey conducted as part of New York’s inaugural first responder mental health needs assessment were released Wednesday. The survey, which was conducted to better understand and help address mental health challenges facing the public safety community, included input from members of law enforcement, the fire service, EMTs, 911 dispatchers and emergency managers. More than 6,000 first responders statewide completed the survey. First responders reported a high degree of mental and physical stress as a result of the traumatic events associated with their work.
Negative impacts to home life due to work as a first responder were reported by 80 percent of survey-takers, 79 percent reported negative impacts to physical health and 72 percent cited challenges with family relationships.
More than half of respondents report that traumatic events are a stressful part of their job and just under half cite not enough time spent with loved ones and public perception of their profession as stressful factors.
Notably, 16 percent of respondents reported suicidal thoughts, which is four times higher than the general population in New York State based on data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
More than 90 percent reported that services such as individual therapy, couple and family therapy, and peer support groups would help improve first responder mental health if they were free and easily accessible. Training and seminars on stress management, coping with anxiety and depression and mental health awareness were of most interest to those who took the survey.
Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Jackie Bray said, “First responders need to know that it’s okay not to be okay and that there is support to help them get through the traumatic stresses that are part of their jobs. We conducted this survey to help strengthen the mental health services available to them. We will work with partners across sectors to use the survey results to improve and expand appropriate care and options for our first responders.”
Office of Mental Health Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan said, “Governor Hochul’s mental health initiatives continue to increase the access first responders have to mental health care and services. First responders are our front-line defense and attend to emergencies and disasters every day. The input received from this survey illustrates the extreme stress and trauma they often experience on the job and the impact it can have on their physical and mental health, and that of their families and support systems. We are committed to providing the treatment and support to best serve our first responder community and their families.”
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