Mental health disorder symptom changes among public safety personnel after emotional resilience skills training
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...
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Elsevier
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Comprehensive Psychiatry |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0010440X25000070 |
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| author | R.N. Carleton S. Sauer-Zavala T.A. Teckchandani K.Q. Maguire L. Jamshidi R.E. Shields T.O. Afifi J. Nisbet K.L. Andrews S.H. Stewart A.J. Fletcher R. Martin R.S. MacPhee J.C. MacDermid T.M. Keane A. Brunet M. McCarron L.M. Lix N.A. Jones G.P. Krätzig J.P. Neary G. Anderson R. Ricciardelli H. Cramm J. Sareen G.J.G. Asmundson |
| author_facet | R.N. Carleton S. Sauer-Zavala T.A. Teckchandani K.Q. Maguire L. Jamshidi R.E. Shields T.O. Afifi J. Nisbet K.L. Andrews S.H. Stewart A.J. Fletcher R. Martin R.S. MacPhee J.C. MacDermid T.M. Keane A. Brunet M. McCarron L.M. Lix N.A. Jones G.P. Krätzig J.P. Neary G. Anderson R. Ricciardelli H. Cramm J. Sareen G.J.G. Asmundson |
| author_sort | R.N. Carleton |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d075e4399da448eabbcd1ba36b464f7b |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0010-440X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Comprehensive Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj-art-d075e4399da448eabbcd1ba36b464f7b2025-02-09T04:59:33ZengElsevierComprehensive Psychiatry0010-440X2025-04-01138152580Mental health disorder symptom changes among public safety personnel after emotional resilience skills trainingR.N. Carleton0S. Sauer-Zavala1T.A. Teckchandani2K.Q. Maguire3L. Jamshidi4R.E. Shields5T.O. Afifi6J. Nisbet7K.L. Andrews8S.H. Stewart9A.J. Fletcher10R. Martin11R.S. MacPhee12J.C. MacDermid13T.M. Keane14A. Brunet15M. McCarron16L.M. Lix17N.A. Jones18G.P. Krätzig19J.P. Neary20G. Anderson21R. Ricciardelli22H. Cramm23J. Sareen24G.J.G. Asmundson25Department of Psychology, University of Regina, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada; Corresponding author.Treatment Innovation for Psychological Services Research Program, Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USADepartment of Psychology, University of Regina, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, CanadaDepartment of Psychology, University of Regina, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, CanadaJoseph J. Zilber College of Public Health, University of Wisconsin-, Milwaukee, WI 53211, USADepartment of Psychology, University of Regina, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, CanadaDepartment of Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada R3E 0W5Department of Politics and International Studies, University of Regina, Regina, SK, Canada S4S 0A2Department of Psychology, University of Regina, Regina, SK, Canada S4S 0A2Mood, Anxiety, and Addiction Comorbidity (MAAC) Lab, Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada B3H 2E2Department of Sociology and Social Studies, University of Regina, Regina, SK, Canada S4S 0A2Department of Education, University of Regina, Regina, SK, Canada S4S 0A2Departments of Kinesiology & Physical Education and Health Sciences, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON, Canada N2L 3C5Department of Physical Therapy and Surgery, Western University, London, ON, Canada N6A 3K7National Center for PTSD, Behavioral Science Division, VA Boston Healthcare System & Boston University School of Medicine, 150 S. Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, USA 02130Director of the National PTSD Centre and University of the Sunshine Coast Thompson Institute, 12 Innovation Pkwy, Birtinya, QLD 4575, AustraliaSaskatchewan Health Authority, Regina, Saskatchewan, S4S 6X6, CanadaDepartment of Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada R3E 0W3Department of Justice Studies, University of Regina, Regina, SK, Canada S4S 0A2Department of Psychology, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada S4S 0A2Faculty of Kinesiology and Health Studies, University of Regina, Regina, SK, Canada S4S 0A2Department of Psychology, Thompson Rivers University, British Columbia, Canada V2C 0C8School of Maritime Studies, Fisheries and Marine Institute, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada A1C 5R3School of Rehabilitation Therapy, Queen's University, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6Department of Psychiatry, Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada R3E 0W5Anxiety and Illness Behaviours Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Regina, Regina, SK, Canada S4S 0A2Objectives: 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.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0010440X25000070PTSDposttraumatic stress injuriestransdiagnosticUnified ProtocolEmotional Resilience Skills Trainingpublic safety personnel |
| spellingShingle | R.N. Carleton S. Sauer-Zavala T.A. Teckchandani K.Q. Maguire L. Jamshidi R.E. Shields T.O. Afifi J. Nisbet K.L. Andrews S.H. Stewart A.J. Fletcher R. Martin R.S. MacPhee J.C. MacDermid T.M. Keane A. Brunet M. McCarron L.M. Lix N.A. Jones G.P. Krätzig J.P. Neary G. Anderson R. Ricciardelli H. Cramm J. Sareen G.J.G. Asmundson Mental health disorder symptom changes among public safety personnel after emotional resilience skills training Comprehensive Psychiatry PTSD posttraumatic stress injuries transdiagnostic Unified Protocol Emotional Resilience Skills Training public safety personnel |
| title | Mental health disorder symptom changes among public safety personnel after emotional resilience skills training |
| title_full | Mental health disorder symptom changes among public safety personnel after emotional resilience skills training |
| title_fullStr | Mental health disorder symptom changes among public safety personnel after emotional resilience skills training |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mental health disorder symptom changes among public safety personnel after emotional resilience skills training |
| title_short | Mental health disorder symptom changes among public safety personnel after emotional resilience skills training |
| title_sort | mental health disorder symptom changes among public safety personnel after emotional resilience skills training |
| topic | PTSD posttraumatic stress injuries transdiagnostic Unified Protocol Emotional Resilience Skills Training public safety personnel |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0010440X25000070 |
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