Mental Health Disorder Symptoms among Canadian Coast Guard and Conservation and Protection Officers

Katie L. Andrews (), Laleh Jamshidi, Jolan Nisbet, Taylor A. Teckchandani, Jill A. B. Price, Rosemary Ricciardelli, Gregory S. Anderson and R. Nicholas Carleton
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Katie L. Andrews: Canadian Institute of Public Safety Research and Treatment (CIPSRT), University of Regina, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada
Laleh Jamshidi: Canadian Institute of Public Safety Research and Treatment (CIPSRT), University of Regina, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada
Jolan Nisbet: Canadian Institute of Public Safety Research and Treatment (CIPSRT), University of Regina, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada
Taylor A. Teckchandani: Canadian Institute of Public Safety Research and Treatment (CIPSRT), University of Regina, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada
Jill A. B. Price: Canadian Institute of Public Safety Research and Treatment (CIPSRT), University of Regina, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada
Rosemary Ricciardelli: Fisheries and Marine Institute, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL A1C 5R3, Canada
Gregory S. Anderson: Faculty of Science, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, BC V2C 0C8, Canada
R. Nicholas Carleton: Canadian Institute of Public Safety Research and Treatment (CIPSRT), University of Regina, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 23, 1-15

Abstract: Canadian public safety personnel (PSP) screen positive for one or more mental health disorders, based on self-reported symptoms, at a prevalence much greater (i.e., 44.5%) than the diagnostic prevalence for the general public (10.1%). Potentially psychologically traumatic event (PPTE) exposures and occupational stressors increase the risks of developing symptoms of mental health disorders. The current study was designed to estimate the mental health disorder symptoms among Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) and Conservation and Protection (C&P) Officers. The participants ( n = 412; 56.1% male, 37.4% female) completed an online survey assessing their current mental health disorder symptoms using screening measures and sociodemographic information. The participants screened positive for one or more current mental health disorders (42.0%; e.g., post-traumatic stress disorder, major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, alcohol use disorder) more frequently than in the general population diagnostic prevalence (10.1%; p < 0.001). The current results provide the first information describing the prevalence of current mental health disorder symptoms and subsequent positive screenings of CCG and C&P Officers. The results evidence a higher prevalence of positive screenings for mental health disorders than in the general population, and differences among the disorder-screening prevalence relative to other Canadian PSP. The current results provide insightful information into the mental health challenges facing CCG and C&P PSP and inform efforts to mitigate and manage PTSI among PSP. Ongoing efforts are needed to protect CCG and C&P Officers’ mental health by mitigating the impacts of risk factors and operational and organizational stressors through interventions and training, thus reducing the prevalence of occupational stress injuries.

Keywords: mental health; public safety personnel (PSP); post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); post-traumatic stress injury (PTSI); occupational stressors (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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