Firefighters are repeatedly exposed to traumatic and stressful situations, increasing their vulnerability for the development of various psychological symptoms and disorders. As many as 32.4% of firefighters meet criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with significantly more experiencing significant subclinical PTSD symptoms. Approximately 22% of firefighters are also at risk for depression, 46.8% reported serious suicidal ideation, and 15.5% reported having made a suicide attempt during heir firefighter tenure6. Alcohol use disorder (AUD) among firefighters is estimated at approximately 50%, nearly twice that of the general population.
Given the chronically stressful and potentially traumatic nature of the firefighting profession and the high rates of psychological disturbances among firefighters, the development of specialized mental health promotion and illness prevention programs for this vulnerable population is a priority. Mindfulness, generally defined as bringing one's full attention to the present moment and taking a stance of nonjudgmental acceptance to the ongoing flow of sensations, thoughts, and/or emotional states, has significant clinical relevance to the prevention and treatment of various psychological conditions. Mindfulness-based interventions have demonstrated efficacy with regard to various psychological symptoms, including PTSD, depression, and alcohol use. In a military context, mindful attention training has shown promise in terms of reducing the impact of combat on psychological health. However, no specialized mindfulness-based interventions exist for firefighters.
The overarching goal of this study is to demonstrate the efficacy, feasibility, and acceptability of Mindful Attention Training (MAT), a novel mindfulness-based intervention that is specifically developed for firefighters. This project is designed to improve the health of firefighters, an integral, essential component of our national and international communities. Moreover, the study aims to promote health service psychologists by enhancing our contributions to the mental healthcare of firefighters, an understudied and underserved segment of the population by virtue of their service to our communities. This study therefore has significant potential to identify, develop, and promote an effective model of quality, evidence-based mental health promotion and illness prevention by integrating health service psychology into the fire service.
Aim 1: To evaluate the efficacy of the Mindful Attention Training (MAT) workshop, as compared to waitlist comparison ("as usual" condition), on mental health promotion among firefighters, as defined by: self-reported levels of (1a) mindful attention and awareness, (1b) nonjudgmental acceptance, and (1c) nonreactivity at each time point.
Aim 2: To evaluate the efficacy of the MAT workshop, as compared to waitlist, on psychological 'illness' prevention among firefighters, as defined by: self-reported symptom severity of PTSD, depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, and alcohol use at each time point.
Aim 3: To evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of the MAT workshop, as compared to waitlist, as defined by: (1) firefighters' self-reported helpfulness of the workshop and (2) firefighters' self-reported satisfaction ratings of the workshop.
