Holidays, First Responders & Mental Health

During the holiday season as first responders, we generally tend to experience more calls dealing with people in crisis or potentially causing a crisis somewhere. The National Alliance of Mental Illness released a survey back in November 2014 that potentially explains why that happens, proclaiming:

64% of people with mental illness report holidays make their conditions worse.

Many respondents reported feeling sad during the holidays, financially strained, lonely, under a lot of pressure, and more. Another survey in 2021 by Sesame found:

3 in 5 Americans feel their mental health is negatively impacted by the holidays.

Other surveys out there make similar claims. Overall, it seems there is a general consensus that the holiday season is rough on our mental health and Psychologists like Anita Sanz have shared examples of why. First responders are not exempt from the holiday seasonal blues because we are affected by all the same things that affect the general public with additional stressors due to the nature of our line of work.

In addition to the reasons listed by psychologists like Sanz, first responders have to deal with workplace trauma exposure, operational, and organizational issues. Being denied a time off request during the holidays could cause a first responder to believe favoritism is at play, an example of an organizational issue. The high-intensity calls, a high call volume, and a lack of sufficient officers on the road can cause the first responders working to feel fatigued, overwhelmed, and unsupported; an example of an operational issue. A study from the University of Cambridge found:

Police officers facing the most demand with not enough time stay on top of workloads are twice as likely to have Complex PTSD (C-PTSD).

In that study, officers who didn't feel supported by colleagues were more likely to suffer as well. The result is a feeling of a toxic work environment that only contributes to burnout, which causes higher employee turnover or pushes them to seek alternative coping mechanisms that could be harmful such as alcohol abuse. A study from the McKinsey Health Institute found:

Toxic workplace behavior is the biggest driver of negative workplace outcomes, such as burnout and intent to leave.

The study finds that attempting to address the problems with wellness programs and adaptability and resiliency training alone won't solve the problem although they do help. With that said, the research found:

...while more adaptable employees are better equipped to work in poor environments, they are less likely to tolerate them. In our survey, employees with high adaptability were 60 percent more likely to report intent to leave their organization if they experienced high levels of toxic behavior at work than those with low adaptability (which may possibly relate to a higher level of self-confidence).

First responders, over time, will also experience compassion fatigue (considered a secondary stress disorder) as they manage trauma from calls through personal experiences. MdE, Inc., states:

When we place the needs of others above our own, we often neglect to care for ourselves adequately... Those who are most compassionate are most at risk of developing compassion fatigue.

During the holiday season, all of these factors and more are compounded and affect first responders everywhere, from police officers to nurses and emergency medical personnel. The result is an overwhelmingly emotional time period that may feel like a rollercoaster of highs and lows for many of us. During the holidays, it's important we keep an eye on our state of mental health as well as our coworkers. Prepare to listen to some difficult concerns, be wary about offering advice, and if you identify potential red flags, encourage the use of professional mental health services.

To better manage our own state of mental health, we need to educate ourselves about mental health better because if we can't recognize our symptoms, we won't be able to know when we should seek help. We also need to be more accepting of utilizing our current available resources. Agencies that offer in-house resources, such as in-house counselors, will most likely have rules in place that create confidentiality boundaries between the agency leadership and their resources so we are not discouraged from using them. If you still don't trust what's available in-house, seek outside resources.

If you are a Texas law enforcement officer, for example, the Texas Peer-to-Peer Network has absolute anonymity and allows you to access a peer from a different part of the state through their mobile platform.

Visiting a Licensed Professional

If you visit a licensed professional service like a counselor, therapist, or psychiatrist, in person or through a telehealth platform, keep in mind that each professional is experienced in specific strategies and theories to help you depending on your needs. The strategy one therapist uses may or may not work for you, but don't get discouraged. Another therapist may use a different strategy or theory that may work better for you. The American Psychological Association shared a short article explaining some of the different approaches to psychotherapy for example. It may take you a few visits with different therapists until you find the right person with the right strategy for you. Keep in mind that the first few visits with any professional can feel awkward or uncomfortable, and that is normal. It may take several visits before you feel comfortable speaking to them, so make sure to give them a fair shot.

Note for Leaders

As leaders, we need to remember that addressing mental health from an individual level only is not enough to effectively enact change in our organizations. We need to lead from the front by smashing the stigma that has permeated the topic of mental health in our organizations. We can do this by sharing our own struggles and providing various options to address mental health such as in-house and external options. Keep in mind that some first responders may be hesitant to speak up or use programs associated with the organization due to concerns about confidentiality and employment risks. If they don't feel authentic support and encouragement, they'll most likely keep to themselves instead of taking the risk.

We need to remember that wellness and professional services are different and each program may be unique in what it offers and how it offers it. We need to invest some of our time to explore the options carefully but provide our people with options and remind them regularly of the services available to them. For example, creating a peer-to-peer network in our agency tackles the same issues an in-house counselor does (mental health), but do so in very different ways and have different pros and cons.

Lastly, it's important to promote sustainable work, individual growth, and create an inclusive work environment as mentioned in the McKinsey study.

If you are working during the holiday season, remember to keep an eye on your coworkers and on your own state of mental health. Read up on the subject, recognize the signs, and seek help if you need it. Don't wait until a crisis to begin talking to someone. Find a professional to vent about the little things so when things get really tough, you already feel comfortable sharing your experiences.

If you are leading during the holiday season, remember that addressing organizational and operational issues while providing access to resources to manage mental health may reduce the toxic aura some feel as they work during an already stressful holiday season. Addressing mental health requires action from all of us.

Below are some resources:

If you are in crisis, get?immediate?help:

Call 911

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (formerly known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline): 988 for English or Spanish, or Lifeline Chat. TTY users can use their preferred relay service or dial 711 then 988.

Crisis Text Line: Text SIGNS to 741741 for 24/7, anonymous, free crisis counseling

Disaster Distress Helpline: CALL or TEXT 1-800-985-5990 (press 2 for Spanish)

SAMHSA’s National Helpline, 1-800-662-HELP (4357) (also known as the Treatment Referral Routing Service), or TTY: 1-800-487-4889 is a confidential, free, 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year, information service, in English and Spanish, for individuals and family members facing mental and/or substance use disorders. This service provides referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations.

If you are a Peace Officer anywhere, you can also contact?COPLINE?at: 1-800-COPLINE (5463)

If you are a Texas Peace Officer remember our Peer to Peer network:

The Texas Law Enforcement Peer Network (TLEPN)?is a state-wide program designed to give every Texas law enforcement officer access to specially trained peers to address stressors, trauma, fatigue, and other needs to combat workforce burnout and end Police suicide and self-harm.?The network will train and mentor police officer volunteers to assist their fellow officers manage stressors both on and off the job.??

·????????Simple to use: download the App, get access code from MyTCOLE, select a peer from the list, and reach out for help or contact the network by phone at (972) 336-1314 or by email at [email protected]

·????????Completely anonymous: The user information is not saved or shared. You do not even have to use your real contact info when reaching out for help.

·????????Cops helping Cops: The peers available are all volunteers and are trained by TCOLE standards to help when it is needed the most.

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