Introduction: First responders are regularly exposed to high-stress situations, traumatic events, and life-threatening environments. The constant barrage of intense scenarios and critical incidents, along with chronic stressors of the job, places them at risk for burnout and the development of mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety. Stigma plays an important role in responders’ willingness to access mental health care. The Mental Health Needs Assessment (MHNA) explores issues related to mental health and stigma among first responders in New York State (NYS). Methods: The MHNA is based on a representative, statewide web survey and qualitative focus groups. The sampling frame included first responder occupations across NYS. The final sample is 6,003. This analysis will use Logistic Regression analysis to explore the relationship between stigma and mental health conditions, such as PTSD. We hypothesize that higher levels of stigma are related to a larger gap between perceptions of self and the field as a whole. Results: Initial MHNA analysis included descriptive reports of the impacts of first responder work on mental health and the barriers to seeking care. Descriptive statistics show that stigma is a barrier to seeking mental health care for more than 80 percent of the first responder population. Descriptive statistics also show a discrepancy between first responders’ reports of mental health conditions (i.e., depression or PTSD) for their field and themselves; first responders report higher incidents of mental health conditions in the field than for themselves. We will test the relationship between stigma-related barriers to seeking mental health care and the gap between the perception of need for the field and self. Conclusion: Addressing stigma as a barrier to mental health care among first responders is essential to increasing access to services. In this tabletop presentation, we will present our findings and facilitate a discussion to generate potential solutions.
Jacobowitz et al. (Sun,) studied this question.