The Impact of Intolerance of Uncertainty and Anxiety Sensitivity on Mental Health Among Public Safety Personnel: When the Uncertain is Unavoidable

Abstract

Background Public safety personnel (PSP; e.g., correctional workers and officers, firefighters, paramedics, police officers, public safety communications officials) are regularly exposed to potentially traumatic events and considerable uncertainty as part of their employment. Canadian PSP screen positively for mental disorders at much higher rates than the general population. Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) and anxiety sensitivity (AS) are empirically-supported vulnerability factors associated with the development and maintenance of mental disorders. Methods The present study was designed to assess IU and AS across PSP-a population regularly encountering uncertainty-with and without mental disorders (n = 4304; 33.3% women), and across normative clinical, community, and undergraduate samples. Further, the study examined the relationship between IU and AS and mental disorders among PSP. Results There were significant differences across groups on IU and AS scores (ps < .001). All PSP, with and without a positive screen for a mental disorder, reported lower IU and AS than clinical samples; however, PSP without mental disorders reported lower IU and AS than all other groups (ps < .001). Conclusion Increased resilience or the development of coping skills to manage regular exposures to uncertain threat may help explain why PSP reported low levels of IU and AS despite higher prevalence of mental disorders. Implications for PSP training and treatment are discussed.

Factors that Influence the Decision to Seek Help in a Police Population

“…Several authors identify early exposure to frequent potentially traumatic events within the first year on the job [29][30][31]. It is well known in the literature that police personnel experience higher rates of PTSD than the general public [10,[32][33][34]. Research shows that the impact of exposure may lead to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, relational stress, impaired social judgement and decreased work performance [4,33].…”

“…Further, Intolerance for Uncertainty (IU)and Anxiety Sensitivity (AS) accounted for greater variance than sex on all mental disorder symptom measures (p. 14). The most recent study conducted by Angehrn, Krakauer and Carleton [32] also assessed IU and AS across PSP and found that there were significant differences across all PSP groups in terms of IU and AS who reported lower scores than clinical samples. The authors discussed how development of resiliency and strong coping strategies helped mitigate exposure to uncertain threat, a common risk factor among police personnel.…”

Compromised Conscience: A Scoping Review of Moral Injury Among Firefighters, Paramedics, and Police Officers

“…Public safety personnel (PSP; e.g., border services officers, public safety communications officials, correctional workers, firefighters paramedics, police, ( Canadian Institute of Public Safety Research and Training [CIPSRT], 2019 ) work in fast-moving and unpredictable environments ( Angehrn et al, 2020 ) that typically involve exposures to potentially psychologically traumatic events ( Corneil et al, 1999 ; Carleton et al, 2019 ). PSP are often required to make quick decisions and act urgently to protect both the public and themselves; accordingly, PSP work in professions that intrinsically involve a moral endeavor focused on an ethic of care ( Papazoglou, 2013 ; Qashu Lim, 2017 ).…”

“…PSP are also part of professional and bureaucratic systems wherein codes of conduct, explicit and implicit duties, and standards of practice, including the law, must figure into their decision-making behavior (i.e., an ethic of duty) ( Qashu Lim, 2017 ). PSP often find themselves in uncertain or ambiguous and potentially traumatic circumstances where resolution may require rapidly acting against the interests of at least one person ( Herbert, 1996 ; Angehrn et al, 2020 ). Accordingly, their decisions may have serious implications that can negatively impact the mental health of PSP, particularly if errors are made or decisions contradict their personal values.…”

Parasocial Interactions, Intolerance to Uncertainty and Mental Health Rehabilitation During Pandemics

“…A recent study showed IU was low in paramedics, police officers, and firefighters. This may have been due to better coping skills due to the nature of their jobs [1]. Regular exposure to events of uncertainty may have helped them to have lesser IU.…”