Mental Health Training, Attitudes toward Support, and Screening Positive for Mental Disorders 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, 1-16

Abstract: Public Safety Personnel (PSP) including members of the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) and Conservation and Protection (C&P) officers, are regularly exposed to potentially psychologically traumatic events (PPTEs) and other occupational stressors. Several mental health training programs (e.g., critical incident stress management [CISM], critical incident stress debriefing [CISD], peer support, mental health first aid, Road to Mental Readiness [R2MR]) exist as efforts to minimize the impact of exposures. To help inform on the impact of several categories of mental health training programs (i.e., CISM, CISD, mental health first aid, Peer Support, R2MR) for improving attitudes toward support and willingness to access supports among CCG and C&P officers, the current study assessed CCG and C&P Officers perceptions of access to professional (i.e., physicians, psychologists, psychiatrists, employee assistance programs, chaplains) and non-professional (i.e., spouse, friends, colleagues, leadership) support, and associations between training and mental health. Participants ( n = 341; 58.4% male) completed an online survey assessing perceptions of support, experience with mental health training and symptoms of mental health disorders. CCG and C&P Officers reported access to professional and non-professional support; however, most indicated they would first access a spouse (73.8%), a friend (64.7%), or a physician (52.9%). Many participants would never, or only as a last resort, access other professional supports (24.0% to 47.9%), a CCG or C&P colleague (67.5%), or their leadership (75.7%). Participants who received any mental health training reported a lower prevalence of positive screens for all mental health disorders compared to those who did not received training; but no statistically significant associations were observed between mental health training categories and decreased odds for screening positive for mental disorders. The current results suggest that the mental health training categories yield comparable results; nevertheless, further research is needed to assess the shared and unique content across each training program. The results highlight the need to increase willingness to access professional and non-professional support among CCG and C&P Officers. Revisions to training programs for leadership and colleagues to reduce stigma around mental health challenges and support for PSP spouses, friends, and physicians may be beneficial.

Keywords: critical incident stress debriefing (CISD); critical incident stress management (CISM); mental health first aid; peer support; road to mental readiness (R2MR); posttraumatic stress injuries (PTSIS); occupational stress injuries (OSIS); public safety personnel (PSP) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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