PSPNET Families Wellbeing Hub: A preliminary evaluation of online upstream supports for public safety personnel families

Abstract

LAY SUMMARY Public safety personnel (PSP) families face unique challenges tied to the job’s occupational risks and requirements. These challenges can often spill over into home life, affecting the day-to-day unfolding of schedules, sleep, mood, activities, and relationships. The impact of this spillover into family life has not received much attention in research or practice. What makes PSP family life unique is the combination of logistics, risks, and identities associated with the job. The project team created an online well-being hub tailored to those factors for PSP families. The website offers information pages, strategy and skill-building exercises, and a self-directed, Internet-delivered cognitive-behavioural therapy course. The hub was launched in December 2022, and the project team wanted to gauge its impact. This article contains a preliminary assessment of Google Analytics, social media posts, and semi-structured interviews. Findings show the site resonates with PSP family members’ experiences, that there is a need for the site, and that users find connection to the content. The hub will continue to be refined based on feedback, and the team will do more research about its impacts.