Poor mental health escalating amongst emergency services

Tuesday 02 October 2018

Emergency service workers are taking more time off due to being stressed, depressed and anxious.

Mental health-related sick days among 'blue light' workers have steadily increased over the past five years.

The figures were released under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Law, and show that the number of days taken off in the first six months of this year is almost equal to, or more than, the number taken off across the whole of 2017.

It comes as UK mental health charity Mind have warned that emergency service workers are particularly vulnerable due to the challenging nature of their job. An online survey conducted by Mind UK as part of their ‘Blue Light Programme’ found that more than one in four (27%) of emergency workers had contemplated taking their own lives due to stress or poor mental health.

Commenting on the rising absences due to poor mental health, Executive Director of Mind Jersey, James Le Feuvre, told Express: "I am sure that many islanders will recognise that our local 'blue light' workers operate in sometimes very difficult and potentially distressing situations. This must be why they are held in such high regard. The challenges and pressures they can face will mean that some of them may well be at greater risk of developing a mental health problem."

Pictured: Mental health charity Mind says that the pressures of working in emergency services can put islanders at greater risk of suffering from poor mental health.

"This is why it’s so important that support is made available to ensure that these dedicated workers are at their best, and ready to carry out these difficult and life-saving roles we often take for granted," he added.

Last year in Jersey, the Fire and Rescue Service saw workers take a total of 37 days off due to anxiety, stress and depression. However, more than double this period has already been taken off for poor mental health just in the first six months of 2018.

If this trend continues for the rest of the year, the Fire Service could see the number of days taken off for these mental health related issues being quadruple that of 2017’s rates. When asked about the figures, a spokesperson for the Fire Service said that they, “...have very few absences from anxiety, stress, depression or other mental health reasons.”

They added that the rising numbers of mental health-related absence could be due to recent recruitment, telling Express: “...figures may have doubled with an increase of one or two staff members.”

The Fire Service spokesperson added that there are a number of mechanisms in place to support their staff including access to a dedicated Welfare Officer and team, helplines and a service doctor.

Pictured: An FOI request shows that the amount of time taken off for mental health reasons is rising amongst emergency service staff.

In the first six months of 2018, the Ambulance Service's rate of mental health-related absence has almost eclipsed the total figure for 2017. Last year, 68.7 days were taken off, in comparison to 59.7 days taken off between January and June of this year.

The Service said that they couldn’t comment specifically on the numbers due to the risk of identifying the few staff members who have taken leave for these reasons, but explained the kinds of support that their staff can access should they be struggling with these issues. They said these include seeking advice from a GP, using the States’ confidential occupational health helpline for staff, or speaking to departmental counselling officers.

Police were the only 'blue light' service not to follow this trend. If the first six months of 2018 set a precedent for the rest of the year, the Police could see a decrease in the amount of leave taken by staff for stress and other mental health difficulties.