Stress Among Recruit and Incumbent Women Firefighters

Acknowledging that firefighting is inherently mentally stressful for all firefighters, the researchers attempted to balance the fact that most of the research on mental health impacts has been on men. This was combined with the fact that to the extent that social support is a “known protective factor for mental health…women may be excluded from the supportive peer network of the firehouse.”

Mental health effects of firefighting on women are real and different. For example, in one large U.S. urban department, 20% of the women reported post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms as compared to 12% of men in the same department. When it came to comparison with women in the general population, women firefighters exhibited a higher rate of depression, about 15% compared to about 8%; and of any alcohol use disorder – about 16% compared to about 9%.

Interestingly, but not surprisingly, the data appeared to support a conclusion that discrimination and harassment in the workplace could exacerbate negative mental health outcomes in women. An analysis indicated that women reporting low levels of discrimination and harassment had rates of depression, PTSD, and problem drinking similar to the rates in men, while women reporting high rates of discrimination and harassment had statistically significant higher rates for the same mental health issues.

Relying on the fact that previous research had found that the fire service ‘family’ and bonding that takes place around the kitchen table built resilience and were incredibly protective for firefighters (see our previous issue), this current research suggested that “women excluded from the bonding and supportive peer network of the firehouse face very real and quantifiable behavioural health consequences.”

You can read the paper at: Examination of Stress Among Recruit and Incumbent Women Firefighters – ScienceDirect