Key Messages

• Firefighters experience increased risk of mental health disorders which is heightened during COVID-19.
• Weak to moderate evidence suggests that strategies typically adopted by fire services to manage firefighter mental health have little to no effect on mental health outcomes.
• Very weak evidence suggests that informal strategies such as mindfulness can have a positive effect on managing firefighter post-traumatic stress injury symptoms, depression and alcohol use.
• A critical gap in managing mental health during COVID-19 for all first responders was identified.
• There is an urgent need for high-quality studies to identify strategies that firefighters can use to effectively manage their mental health.

Author(s)

• Nominated Principal Applicant: Dr. Kathryn Sinden, School of Kinesiology, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
• Sara Sayed, School of Kinesiology, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
• Dr. Joy MacDermid, School of Physical Therapy, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
• Regan Bolduc, Thunder Bay Fire Rescue, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
• Emily Tella, School of Kinesiology, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada

For more information, please contact: Kathryn E. Sinden: kathryn.sinden@lakeheadu.ca.

Related Syntheses

• An Evidence Synthesis Service to Support Ontario’s Mental Health and Addictions Centre of Excellence
• Niikaniganaw (All My Relations) Ii – the COVID-19 Rapid Response: Indigenous Approaches to Synthesizing Knowledge for Culturally-safe and Stigma Free Mental Health Care for Under-served Indigenous Communities in Ottawa-Gatineau
• The Relationship Between Social Connectedness and Mental Health for Residents of Long-term Care Homes: Knowledge Synthesis and Mobilization

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Population

Healthcare, Front-line Workers and Public Safety Personnel

Language

To ensure the rapid dissemination of this critical information, information is published in the language in which it was submitted. Please contact us for French or English translations.