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. 2011 Aug;53(8):928-33.
doi: 10.1097/JOM.0b013e318225898f.

Sleep problems, depression, substance use, social bonding, and quality of life in professional firefighters

Mary G Carey  1 , Salah S Al-Zaiti, Grace E Dean, Loralee Sessanna, Deborah S Finnell
Affiliations

Sleep problems, depression, substance use, social bonding, and quality of life in professional firefighters

Mary G Carey et al. J Occup Environ Med. 2011 Aug.

Abstract

Objective: Little attention has been given to factors contributing to firefighters' psychosomatic well-being. The purpose of this descriptive study was to examine such contributing factors in a sample of professional firefighters.

Methods: Measures assessing sleep, depression, substance use, social bonding, and quality of life were examined in 112 firefighters.

Results: Overall, many firefighters reported sleep deprivation (59%), binge drinking behavior (58%), poor mental well-being (21%), current nicotine use (20%), hazardous drinking behavior (14%), depression (11%), poor physical well-being (8%), caffeine overuse (5%), or poor social bonding (4%).

Conclusions: Small-to-medium correlations were identified between sleep deprivation, depression, physical/mental well-being, and drinking behaviors. High-risk behaviors that impact psychosomatic well-being are prevalent in professional firefighters, which require environmental and individual-based health promotion interventions. The inter-correlation relationships between such behaviors, therefore, need to be explored in further details.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Prevalence of Psychosocial Characteristics of Professional Firefighters
Sleep deprivation and binge drinking are the most prevalent followed by nicotine use and poor mental well-being. Other high-risk health behaviors were less prevalent.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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