Career versus volunteer firefighters: Differences in perceived availability and barriers to behavioral health care.

ABSTRACT: Due to occupational stress and exposure to potentially traumatic events, firefighters are at an increased risk for the development of many behavioral health conditions. While volunteer and career firefighters represent two distinct subgroups, little research has examined differences in the availability of, and barriers to, behavioral health care between these populations. This study examined perceived availability and barriers to behavioral health care services among 2,156 career and 227 volunteer firefighters. Volunteer firefighters were less likely to report availability of drug and alcohol or family and couple services, but more likely to report availability of a trained peer support system and follow-up care compared to career firefighters. Volunteer firefighters were over five times m

SUBMITTER: Pennington ML 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9195594 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature