Fatigue sensitivity and mental health among trauma-exposed firefighters

ABSTRACT

Background

Firefighters are faced with numerous work-related demands and stressors, including exposure to potentially traumatic events, and are thus at an increased risk for poor mental health outcomes. To better understand the mental health of trauma-exposed firefighters, the current study sought to examine the association of fatigue sensitivity with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depressive symptom severity in a cross-sectional study design.

Methods

Participants included 107 (M_age = 40.8 years; SD_age = 8.95; age range: 21–67 years; 95.0% male) trauma-exposed firefighters.

Results

Findings from the current study indicated that fatigue sensitivity was a statistically significant clinical correlate of PTSD, anxiety, and depressive symptom severity. The statistically significant incremental effects were small to medium across the mental health variables, but evident after accounting for years in the fire service, sleep quality, and trauma load.

Conclusions

The present data provide initial empirical evidence for the role of fatigue sensitivity in terms of a broad range of mental health indices among trauma-exposed firefighters.

KEYWORDS:

• Firefighters
• fatigue sensitivity
• trauma
• PTSD
• anxiety
• depression

Acknowledgements

Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to the University of Houston under Award Number U54MD015946. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities [grant number U54MD015946].

Notes on contributors

Brooke Kauffman

Brooke Y. Kauffman: Dr. Kauffman is a Research Assistant Professor at the University of Houston. Her research interests focus on innovative and integrative treatment methodologies aimed at improving health behaviors. She has published over 70 peer-reviewed articles/book chapters and served as a PI and Co-I on several federally funded projects related to health behavior promotion.

Kara Manning

Kara Manning: Kara Manning is a doctoral student in the University of Houston’s Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program. She received her Master of Arts degree in May of 2019 in Clinical Psychology. To date, she has published over 50 peer reviewed articles and has attended multiple professional conferences around the world. Her research program includes fatigue and substance use disorders among adult populations, as well as understanding transdiagnostic mechanisms that may exacerbate these relations. She is currently the PI on a pre-doctoral National Research Service Award (NRSA) grant.

Michael J. Zvolensky

Michael J Zvolensky: Dr. Zvolensky is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Psychology at University of Houston. He has published over 850 scholarly works on the co-occurrence of anxiety and stress-related psychopathology with substance use disorders. In this line of work, he also has examined the physical health and health behavior correlates of anxiety-substance use disorder comorbidity, including such conditions as HIV/AIDS, asthma, cardiac disease, and chronic pain. Dr. Zvolensky's work is globally aimed at eliminating inequalities in psychopathology, addictive, and other health behaviors through translational research.

Anka A. Vujanovic

Anka A. Vujanovic: Dr. Vujanovic is Associate Professor, Director of Graduate Education, and Director of the Trauma and Stress Studies Center in the Department of Psychology at the University of Houston. Dr. Vujanovic’s research program is oriented to understanding the complexity of PTSD and some of its most prevalent and high-risk correlates, including substance use disorders (SUD) and suicide risk, through the study of underlying psychological mechanisms relevant to treatment development. Dr. Vujanovic has received research funding from numerous funding agencies and has authored over 200 publications, including journal articles, books, and book chapters.