Abstract
Poor sleep quality is associated with numerous mental health concerns and poorer overall physical health. Sleep disturbances are commonly reported by public safety personnel (PSP) and may contribute to the risk of developing mental disorders or exacerbate mental disorder symptoms. The current investigation was designed to provide estimates of sleep disturbances among PSP and explore the relationship between sleep quality and mental health status. PSP completed screening measures for sleep quality and diverse mental disorders through an online survey. Respondents (5813) were grouped into six categories: communications officials, correctional workers, firefighters, paramedics, police officers, and Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Many PSP in each category reported symptoms consistent with clinical insomnia (49–60%). Rates of sleep disturbances differed among PSP categories (p < 0.001, ω = 0.08). Sleep quality was correlated with screening measures for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and alcohol use disorder for all PSP categories (r = 0.18–0.70, p < 0.001). PSP who screened positive for insomnia were 3.43–6.96 times more likely to screen positive for a mental disorder. All PSP reported varying degrees of sleep quality, with the lowest disturbances found among firefighters and municipal/provincial police. Sleep appears to be a potentially important factor for PSP mental health.
Highlights
IntroductionPublic safety personnel (PSP) face potentially life-threatening risks, long work hours, experience high levels of daily stress, and engage in shift work, which together may make public safety personnel (PSP) more vulnerable to disordered sleep, mental disorders, and physical disorders relative to the general population [1,2,3,4]
Public safety personnel (PSP) face potentially life-threatening risks, long work hours, experience high levels of daily stress, and engage in shift work, which together may make public safety personnel (PSP) more vulnerable to disordered sleep, mental disorders, and physical disorders relative to the general population [1,2,3,4].PSP can include boarder services, communications officials, correctional workers, firefighters, paramedics, and police officers [5]
The current study provides novel estimates of sleep disturbances among different types of PSP and explores the relationship between sleep quality and mental disorder symptoms
Summary
Public safety personnel (PSP) face potentially life-threatening risks, long work hours, experience high levels of daily stress, and engage in shift work, which together may make PSP more vulnerable to disordered sleep, mental disorders, and physical disorders relative to the general population [1,2,3,4]. PSP can include boarder services, communications officials (e.g., dispatchers, call center operators), correctional workers, firefighters, paramedics, and police officers [5]. PSP are required to be alert and respond quickly to various demands, yet one-third of police officers in the United States report sleeping less than six hours per night [2]. In a survey of firefighters and paramedics, 93% reported significant sleep disturbances [6]. The probability of at least one lapse in performance decreased with
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