Last week, the University of Phoenix announced findings from their third annual first responders’ survey regarding perceptions about mental health. The online survey conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of the University finds that first responders continue to believe mental health is as important as physical health (87 percent). However, despite a societal focus on mental health, first responders still face perception barriers in the workplace that could prevent them from seeking professional counseling.
According to the University of Phoenix online survey, more than half of first responders (57 percent) feel that there would be repercussions on the job for seeking professional counseling. This represents a 10 percent increase over research conducted in 2018, where 47 percent felt there were repercussions. Perhaps more concerning is that 70 percent of first responders believe those who seek counseling will get better, compared to the 84 percent who believed counseling helped, in 2018.
The Impact of Mental Health Stigma in the Fire Service
“Despite efforts in the media and the mental health field to normalize mental wellness, the survey results show there is still much work to be done to support first responders, especially in the workplace,” said Sam Dutton, Ph.D., LCSW, program director for University of Phoenix Social Work. “Most of us realize how essential our first responders are in protecting our communities. We must also appreciate how their work on the frontlines of traumatic situations can take a toll on their mental health and wellbeing. On the job and in the mental health field, we need to provide a safe space where first responders can discuss mental health confidentially and without judgment or repercussions.”
该调查表明，许多第一响应者觉得工作是讨论心理健康的安全场所。在患有寻求咨询的57％的人中，48％的人们认为他们会得到不同的监事和35％的人认为他们将被同事/同龄人视为弱势。
有些人认为寻求专业有助于引用职业限制后果的影响。在首先受响应者所察觉的最佳工作中，46％的人在工作转让的变化中，37％的人认为他们将被传递给促销活动。引用的一些反冲更为严重，23％的响应，他们可能会降级，并且可能被解雇17％。
“Whether on the job repercussions are perception or reality, we must ensure first responders can seek help without fear of jeopardizing their livelihood,” said Dutton. “That starts with supervisors having open and honest conversations about mental wellness and building a culture where it is okay to not be okay. One of the statistics that remained consistent in our survey is that first responders are encouraged to seek counseling when others share their experience.”
调查发现，如果周围的人愿意讨论心理健康，那么第一个响应者可能会更加开放。如果他们组织中的领导者谈到了自己的经验，71％的人表示，他们会鼓励他们寻求专业咨询。同行有一个更大的影响力，83％的第一名响应者表示，如果一个紧密的同事，朋友或家人讲话，他们会鼓励他们为自己寻求帮助。
尽管如此，一些第一个响应者可能不知道在哪里寻求帮助或觉得他们缺乏寻求专业帮助的财务意味着。在那些从未寻求专业咨询的人中，21％的人引用不能提供它，而19％的人表示他们不知道去哪里。
University of Phoenix provides mental health resources to students, alumni and the community, including first responders. The University has an alliance with Give an Hour, a national non-profit that provides free, confidential mental health care and support to service members, veterans, and their families as well as other at-risk populations. Give an Hour harnesses the generosity of more than 7,000 mental health professionals who volunteer their time and expertise. University of Phoenix also operates six counseling centers in five states (Ariz., Calif., Colo., Nev., and Utah) that offer free services to anyone in the community, including first responders.
“第一个响应者经常被视为对社区的英雄，而且正确地看着他们的生活在服务他人的线上。荷兰人说，标签英雄随着英雄从未抱怨或表现出弱势而自身的压力。““我们必须确保我们的第一个响应者知道这不是获得帮助的弱点的迹象。这意味着我们所有人都必须继续推动谈话以使所有人的心理健康正常化。“
要了解更多关于给予一小时，请访问www.giveanhour.org.。有关咨询中心的更多信息，或设立预约，访问https://www.phoenix.edu/students/counseling-skills-centers.htm.l.
Survey Methodology
This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of University of Phoenix from August 16 – 29, 2019 among 1,294 U.S. adults aged 18 and older, of whom 1,036 are U.S. military (105 active duty and 931 non-active duty) and 258 are first responders (police, firefighters, nurses, paramedics/EMTs). Figures were weighted where necessary by age by sex, race/ethnicity, region, income, education, household size, and marital status to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust respondents’ propensity to be online.
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