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Recent #wildfire seasons have been tough. One often overlooked but crucial aspect of more frequent, intense wildfires is firefighters’ well-being. I spoke with @NathanRott @NPR on ‘Why Firefighters Are Facing A Growing #MentalHealth Challenge’ https://www.npr.org/2021/02/16/968252579/why-firefighters-are-facing-a-growing-mental-health-challenge?utm_campaign=storyshare&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social @CSS_Zurich
https://www.npr.org/2021/02/16/968252579/why-firefighters-are-facing-a-growing-mental-health-challenge?utm_campaign=storyshare&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social
I have received a number of requests for more insights on wildland firefighters' growing mental health challenge. Here are a few (please e-mail me for a copy if you have problems accessing the academic papers).
Wildland firefighters are risking their mental health: As climate change lengthens fire seasons, will the government do enough to protect them? By @markbetancourt in @highcountrynews https://www.hcn.org/issues/52.8/south-bureau-of-land-management-wildland-firefighters-are-risking-their-mental-health
A quiet rise in wildland firefighter suicides: America’s firefighting community is grappling with a troubling trend amid brutal fire seasons. By @hhansman in @TheAtlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2017/10/wildland-firefighter-suicide/544298/
Enhancing mental health treatment for the firefighter population: Understanding fire culture, treatment barriers, practice implications, and research directions. By Johnson et al. (2020) in Professional Psychology: Research and Practice https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2019-58638-001
Wildland firefighters and suicide risk: Examining the role of social disconnectedness. By Stanley et al. (2018) in Psychiatry Research https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165178118300957
Mental health service use among firefighters with suicidal thoughts and behaviors. By Hom et al. (2016) in Psychiatric Services https://ps.psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/appi.ps.201500177
National mental health and wellbeing study of police and emergency services in Australia: https://www.bnhcrc.com.au/research/resilience-hazards/3403
Wildland Firefighter Foundation https://wffoundation.org
NWCG Mental Health Subcommittee https://www.nwcg.gov/committees/mental-health-subcommittee
Suicide in Wildland Fire Service https://gacc.nifc.gov/cism/suicide.html
WFGI Mental Health https://www.wfgi.org/mental-health-resources
Center for Firefighter Behavioural Health http://pocketpeer.org
NWCG Mental Health Subcommittee https://www.nwcg.gov/committees/mental-health-subcommittee
Suicide in Wildland Fire Service https://gacc.nifc.gov/cism/suicide.html
WFGI Mental Health https://www.wfgi.org/mental-health-resources
Center for Firefighter Behavioural Health http://pocketpeer.org
Last but not least, I highly recommend a regular yoga practice. Yoga and mental health are best bodies in my experience. Yoga with Adrienne is a free and high quality resource: https://yogawithadriene.com/
