Safeguarding the mental health of emergency service workers in Australia
Categories: Action Line 2: Evidence-based policy strategy and capacity building, Climate-smart workforce
Country: Australia
Organizations: Black Dog Institute
The intervention
Climate-related disasters can have a negative impact on the mental health of people in Australia. The emergency services workers and volunteers who respond to these disasters are at greater risk of developing mental illness, with studies showing over a third of emergency responders experience significant mental health symptoms at some point in their life, with double the rate of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) compared to the general Australian population.
In the wake of a run of large-scale natural disasters, the Australian Government has funded the establishment of specialist mental health services for people affected by disasters, of which $8 million was provided to the Black Dog Institute for the establishment and delivery of the National Emergency Worker Support Service (NEWSS). This service is available to all emergency services workers (ESW) – including volunteers and those who are retired – who respond to disasters such as bushfires, floods, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Through the National Emergency Worker Support Service, emergency services workers can access up to twelve sessions with a clinical psychologist free of charge, either face-to-face or via telehealth. They can also access a quick and confidential online mental health check to see how they are feeling and receive a report that identifies their symptoms and provides recommendations for support.
Success factors
The two key factors that have ensured the success of NEWSS are its independence and its commitment to evidence-based practice. Black Dog Institute is a renowned and trusted mental health institute in Australia. The ease with which the confidential online mental health check is accessed, via the Black Dog Institute website facilitates the quick dissemination of clear recommendations to ESWs in need of check-ups. To date, more than 35,000 ESWs have undertaken a mental health check using this service.
NEWSS is backed by research and evidence. The Black Dog Institute’s award-winning research enables them to set the benchmark for improving outcomes in emergency service workers worldwide. ESWs with PTSD receive treatment via the UNSW Traumatic Stress Clinic, which has led the world in the development of trauma focused Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) tailored for first responders. The results achieved in this tailored treatment program are remarkable: 80 percent of people who received treatment through the Traumatic Stress Clinic have made a full and lasting recovery.
NEWSS is available to all ESWs nationwide, whether volunteer or paid, active or retired. It also delivers professional development and specialty mental health training to GPs and allied health care professionals across the country. These free workshops are designed to provide local support and referral options for ESWs by helping health professionals identify evidence-based treatment and referral pathways for people impacted by trauma.
Recommendations
As rates of natural disasters increase, more ESWs are going to be exposed to stressful and traumatic situations, which will increase their risk of mental health problems such as PTSD. It is essential to build local mental health capacity throughout a country as the incidence of critical incidents increase due to climate change. General Practitioners (GPs) and Allied Health Professionals (AHP) play a crucial role in identifying Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and in helping patients get the support they need. However, these types of initiatives need to be backed up by the provision of specialised services that can provide ESWs with confidential, expert, evidence-based treatment programs. Australia’s NEWSS service shows the impact this type of service can have and the outstanding results that can be achieved for individual ESWs.
Key resources
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