Mental health of public safety personnel: Developing a model of operational, organizational, and personal factors in public safety organizations

Abstract

The work of public safety personnel (PSP) such as police officers, firefighters, correctional officers, and paramedics, as well as other PSP, makes them vulnerable to psychological injuries, which can have profound impacts on their families and the communities they serve. A multitude of complex operational, organizational, and personal factors contribute to the mental health of PSP; however, to date the approach of the research community has been largely to explore the impacts of these factors separately or within single PSP professions. To date, PSP employers have predominantly focused on addressing the personal aspects of PSP mental health through resiliency and stress management interventions. However, the increasing number of psychological injuries among PSPs and the compounding stressors of the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrate a need for a new approach to the study of PSP mental health. The following paper discusses the importance of adopting a broader conceptual approach to the study of PSP mental health and proposes a novel model that highlights the need to consider the combined impacts of operational, organizational, and personal factors on PSP mental health. The TRi-Operational-Organizational-Personal Factor Model (TROOP) depicts these key factors as three large pieces of a larger puzzle that is PSP mental health. The TROOP gives working language for public safety organizations, leaders, and researchers to broadly consider the mental health impacts of public safety work.

Worker's compensation usage and return to work outcomes for Ontario public safety personnel with mental stress injury claims: 2017–2021

“…Historically, the efforts of the research community have focused on exploring operational, organizational, and personal factors known to impact PSP mental health separately or within a single PSP profession, thus failing to adopt a broader conceptual approach to understanding and supporting PSP mental health. Our findings underscore a need for a new approach to address the mental health needs of PSP, an approach that explores the combined impacts of operational, organizational, and personal factors on PSP mental health (Edgelow et al, 2023a). Given the complexity of the issue at stake and the wide ranging personal and social impacts of not adequately supporting PSP's mental health in an often-overburdened healthcare system, this is an area of grave concern for many communities.…”

Longitudinal assessment of psychological distress and its determinants in a sample of firefighters based in Montreal, Canada

“…Occupational stress may influence the severity and course of mental health problems in firefighters and has been considered a core determinant of PTSD, depression, and substance abuse ( Marmar et al, 2006 ; Meyer et al, 2012 ; Edgelow and Fecica, 2023 ; Serrano-Ibáñez et al, 2023 ). Occupational stress can be conceptualized as a process resulting from the dynamic balance of factors regarding job content and context, particularly the support received within the organization ( Gulliver et al, 2021 ).…”

“…Occupational stress can be conceptualized as a process resulting from the dynamic balance of factors regarding job content and context, particularly the support received within the organization ( Gulliver et al, 2021 ). For instance, Edgelow’s Tri-Operational-Organizational-Personal Factor Model (TROOP) ( Edgelow and Fecica, 2023 ) clusters risk factors into three categories: operational, organizational, and personal. Operational factors pertain to the nature of the job and encompass distinctive requirements and sources of pressure confronted by public safety personnel (PSP), such as managing violent situations, feeling apprehensive about potential harm that could come to themselves or their colleagues, or encountering hostile interactions with the public while on duty, workload, safety hazards, and exposure to the risk of injury or death.…”