01 — Firefighter

CLAIM USED IN THE SPONSORSHIP PACKET:

IN 2017, REPORTED FIREFIGHTER SUICIDES OUTNUMBERED LINE-OF-DUTY DEATHS — 103 TO 93

WHAT THE RESEARCH SHOWS

The Ruderman Family Foundation reported at least 103 firefighter suicides in 2017 compared with 93 firefighter line-of-duty deaths. The Foundation's later 2022 update continued to identify suicide and mental health as significant concerns among first responders.

SOURCE:

Study: Police Officers and Firefighters Are More Likely to Die by Suicide Than in Line of Duty

Organization: Ruderman Family Foundation

Published: April 2018 

02 — EMERGENCY DISPATCHERS

CLAIM USED IN THE SPONSORSHIP PACKET:

11.3% OF EMERGENCY CALL-TAKERS AND DISPATCHERS IN ONE STUDY SCREENED POSITIVE FOR PTSD

WHAT THE RESEARCH SHOWS

A 2020 cross-sectional study examined 71 emergency call-takers and dispatchers and screened participants for secondary traumatic stress, PTSD, depression, and anxiety.

The study found that 11.3% of participants screened positive for PTSD, while 8.5% showed moderate secondary traumatic stress and 2.8% showed severe secondary traumatic stress.

The researchers concluded that exposure to traumatic emergency-call content can contribute to psychological distress among emergency call-takers and dispatchers and recommended regular psychoeducational interventions and supervision.

SOURCE

Study: Prevalence and risk factors of secondary traumatic stress in emergency call-takers and dispatchers – a cross-sectional study

Authors: David Kindermann, Monique Sanzenbacher, Ede Nagy, Anja Greinacher, Anna Cranz, Alexander Nikendei, Hans-Christoph Friederich, and Christoph Nikendei

Publication: European Journal of Psychotraumatology, Volume 11, 2020

Published: September 15, 2020

DOI: 10.1080/20008198.2020.1799478

03 — healthcare

CLAIM USED IN THE SPONSORSHIP PACKET:

ABOUT 34% OF HEALTHCARE WORKERS IN A LARGE META-ANALYSIS REPORTED PTSD-RELEVANT SYMPTOMS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

WHAT THE RESEARCH SHOWS

A systematic review and meta-analysis examined 119 studies involving 117,143 healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The researchers found a pooled prevalence of approximately 34% for PTSD-relevant symptoms, while approximately 14% of participants reported severe PTSD symptoms. The researchers emphasized that these findings represent PTSD-related symptoms identified across the studies and should not be interpreted as a 34% clinical diagnosis rate.

SOURCE:

Study: Post-traumatic stress in healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Authors: Sanketh Andhavarapu, Isha Yardi, Vera Bzhilyanskaya, and colleagues

Publication: Psychiatry Research, Volume 317, Article 114890

Published: October 2022

DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2022.114890

04 — LAW ENFORCEMENT

CLAIM USED IN THE SPONSORSHIP PACKET:

7.8% OF URBAN POLICE OFFICERS IN ONE STUDY MET CRITERIA FOR LIFETIME ALCOHOL ABUSE OR DEPENDENCE

WHAT THE RESEARCH SHOWS

A study examining alcohol use among urban police officers found that 7.8% of the sample met criteria for lifetime alcohol abuse or dependence. The study also found that 18.1% of male officers and 15.9% of female officers reported experiencing adverse consequences from alcohol use.

The original Wellness Forward claim also referenced divorce rates. That portion has been removed because the available research we reviewed does not support the statement that law enforcement officers have divorce rates far above the national average.

SOURCE

Study: Patterns and Predictors of Alcohol Use in Male and Female Urban Police Officers

Authors: J.F. Ballenger, S.R. Best, T.J. Metzler, D.A. Wasserman, D.C. Mohr, A. Liberman, K. Delucchi, D.S. Weiss, J.A. Fagan, A.E. Waldrop, and C.R. Marmar

Publication: The American Journal on Addictions, Volume 20, pages 21–29

Published: January–February 2011

DOI: 10.1111/j.1521-0391.2010.00092.x

05 — education

CLAIM USED IN THE SPONSORSHIP PACKET:

BURNOUT IS A MAJOR DRIVER OF TEACHERS’ INTENTION TO LEAVE THE PROFESSION.

WHAT THE RESEARCH SHOWS

A 2021 meta-analysis examined the relationship between teacher burnout, job satisfaction, and teachers' intentions to quit. The researchers found that all three dimensions of burnout were positively associated with teachers' intentions to quit. Burnout and job satisfaction together explained 27% of the variance in intentions to quit, with burnout accounting for the majority of that explained variance. A separate 2022 meta-analysis analyzed 94 studies involving 39,508 participants and identified burnout as the most important predictor of teachers' turnover intention.

SOURCE:

Study: Towards an understanding of teacher attrition: A meta-analysis of burnout, job satisfaction, and teachers’ intentions to quit

Authors: Daniel J. Madigan and Lisa E. Kim

Publication: Teaching and Teacher Education, Volume 105, Article 103425

Published: September 2021

DOI: 10.1016/j.tate.2021.103425

Original study: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2021.103425

Additional supporting research

Study: What promotes teachers’ turnover intention? Evidence from a meta-analysis

Authors: Ruoxuan Li and Meilin Yao

Publication: Educational Research Review, Volume 37, Article 100477

Published: 2022

DOI: 10.1016/j.edurev.2022.100477

06 — corrections

CLAIM USED IN THE SPONSORSHIP PACKET:

32.6% OF CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS IN ONE STUDY SCREENED POSITIVE FOR PTSD.

WHAT THE RESEARCH SHOWS

A Canadian national survey compared correctional officers with wellness-services employees working in correctional settings. Among the participants included in the analysis, 32.6% of correctional officers screened positive for PTSD, compared with 17.2% of wellness-services employees.

Correctional officers also reported significantly greater exposure to potentially psychologically traumatic events than wellness-services employees. The study used a PTSD screening measure and therefore should not be interpreted as establishing a clinical diagnosis for all participants.

SOURCE

Study: When Our Work Hits Home: Trauma and Mental Disorders in Correctional Officers and Other Correctional Workers

Authors: Nina Fusco, Rosemary Ricciardelli, Laleh Jamshidi, R. Nicholas Carleton, Nigel Barnim, Zoe Hilton, and Dianne Groll

Publication: Frontiers in Psychiatry, Volume 11, Article 493391

Published: February 15, 2021

DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.493391