Correlates of suicidality in firefighter/EMS personnel

Abstract Background Firefighter and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel experience higher rates of lifetime suicidal ideation and attempts than the general population and other protective service professions. Several correlates of suicidality (alcohol use, depression, posttraumatic stress) have been identified in the literature as applicable to firefighter/EMS populations; however, few studies to date have examined the specific correlates of suicidality (lifetime suicidal ideation and/or attempts) in a firefighter/EMS sample. Methods Participants (N=3,036) from a large, urban fire department completed demographic and self-report measures of alcohol dependence, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity, and lifetime suicidal ideation and attempts. Participants in this sample performed both firefighter and EMS duties, were predominately male (97%), White (61.6%), and 25–34 years old (32.1%). Results Through hierarchical linear regressions, depression (β = .22, p < .05) and PTSD symptom severity (β = .21, p < .05) were significantly associated with lifetime suicidal ideation (R2 = 17.5). Depression (β = .15, p < .001), and PTSD sym p tom severity (β = .07, p < .01) were significantly associated with lifetime suicide attempts (R2 = 5.1). Limitations Several limitations are addressed in the current study. The survey was a self-report pre-existing dataset and lifetime suicidal ideation and attempts were measured using sum scores. Additionally, the disproportionately large sample of males and large, urban setting, may not generalize to female firefighters and members of rural community fire departments. Conclusions The current study highlights the importance of targeting depression and PTSD symptom severity in efforts to reduce suicidality in firefighter/EMS personnel.