First responders—including police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical service workers—face mental health struggles at disproportionately high rates. Repeated exposure to death and disaster in their fields causes emotional trauma that can lead to anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and suicide.
In fact, a report commissioned by the Ruderman Family Foundation found police and firefighters are more likely to die by suicide than in the line of duty, despite the media in large part only covering the latter type of tragedy.
[Read more…] about How Peers Can Help First Responders in Need of Support