Early Intervention and Mental Health
More needs to be done to boost wellbeing and address the risk of suicide among our first responders.
By Michael Willing APM, CEO, Fortem Australia.
This blog post talks about suicide. If you or your loved one needs urgent assistance, please call 000 or talk to Lifeline on 13 11 14.
After giving it a fair bit of consideration, I wanted to share my thoughts on a sensitive topic that resonates strongly with me and many across our communities.
The tragic loss this week of a police officer to suicide in NSW has again brought to light the challenging nature of frontline work on the wellbeing of our first responders. It is important that we take the time to mourn the loss of this officer, but we must also confront the reality that more needs to be done to protect those who serve and safeguard our communities from experiencing similar fates.
The work performed by Australia’s first responder sector is crucial, yet it often involves confronting, traumatic, and dangerous situations. We know that 1 in 3 first responders experience high psychological distress from trauma experienced on the job and face higher rates of diagnosis for mental health conditions than the general population. We also know that first responders are more than twice as likely to have suicidal thoughts than the wider adult population.
But the tragic reality is that many first responders often struggle with the stigma surrounding mental health and hesitate to reach out for support. I know that from personal experience as someone who was always reluctant to throw my hand up and say that I needed to talk to someone when I needed to.
While agencies provide access to psychological support through a range of workplace assistance programs, we know that some first responders are reluctant to use them, and we need to raise awareness that there are also independent support services like Fortem Australia out there.
We also need to create a culture where mental health is treated as an essential component of overall wellbeing. This means fostering an environment where being mentally healthy is seen as a life-long journey and seeking help is seen not as a weakness, but rather as a strength. First responders need to know that it is actually strong to seek support and that reaching out is both encouraged and supported.
Preventative and early intervention measures are vital. We cannot afford to wait until our first responders reach a breaking point. The effects of chronic workplace stress are evident, and research clearly demonstrates that early intervention is crucial for preventing long-term psychological injury. That’s why first responders need to be equipped with the tools to recognise the early signs of burnout, depression, or PTSD, both in themselves and in their colleagues, and to be more proactive in seeking assistance.
Like many serving and former first responders, I have lost a more than a few close friends and work colleagues to suicide, and in my opinion the loss of yet another police officer this week is a painful reminder that we are not doing enough to protect those who protect us.
If you or someone you know requires urgent assistance, please reach out to Lifeline at 13 11 14 or the Suicide Call Back Service at 1300 659 467. In cases of immediate danger, dial 000.