The Association of Sleep Disturbance and Suicide Risk Among Firefighters: Exploring Emotion Regulation Dimensions

Abstract

Aim

This study explored the extent to which emotion regulation dimensions statistically mediate the association between sleep disturbance and suicide risk among firefighters.

Method

Participants were 865 firefighters working for a fire department in an urban area in the southern U.S. Bootstrapping was used to test the indirect effects of sleep disturbance on suicide risk through emotion regulation dimensions, after controlling for depression and trauma exposure

Results

The effect of sleep disturbance on suicide risk was significantly statistically mediated by emotion regulation difficulties (β= .09, SE = .02, 95% CI: .05, .14). Moreover, each of the five dimensions of emotion regulation difficulties significantly statistically mediated this association, with difficulties in engaging in goal-direct behavior (β = .09, SE = .02, 95% CI: .05, .14) and lack of strategies to reduce distress demonstrating the strongest indirect effects (β = .07, SE = .02, 95% CI: .04, .11), after accounting for depression and trauma exposure.

Conclusion

Results suggest that suicide interventions for firefighters who suffer from sleep disturbance should focus on the development of emotion regulation strategies.

Keywords:

• Emotion regulation
• firefighters
• first responder
• sleep
• suicide risk

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

The authors acknowledge that no financial interest or benefit has arisen from the direct applications of this research.

AUTHOR NOTES

Dr. Danya M. Serrano is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Houston-Downtown (UHD) and has worked at UHD since 2017. She has a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology and Individual Differences and a M.Ed. in Counseling. She has worked as a Licensed Professional Counselor-Intern for a private counseling practice and as a researcher and program evaluator for the Houston Independent School District, the University of Houston-Downtown (UHD), the Rice University School Mathematics Project, and the Biology and Biochemistry Department at the University of Houston.

Dr. Katrina A. Rufino is an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Houston-Downtown (UHD) and came to UHD in 2014. She completed her predoctoral internship at Baylor College of Medicine followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine and The Menninger Clinic. She has previous clinical experience working with adults, children, and adolescents in hospital, community, and forensic settings. Dr. Rufino is a Licensed Psychologist in the state of Texas.

Jana K. Tran, Ph.D.: Dr. Tran is a licensed counseling psychologist who has previously served as a Staff Psychologist at the Houston Fire Department and is currently working as an Operational Psychologist for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Dr. Anka A. 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 (UH). Her research interests include understanding the biopsychosocial correlates of trauma, posttraumatic stress and substance to inform treatment development. She is a licensed psychologist in the state of Texas.

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT

The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author [AV]. The data are not publicly available due to [restrictions containing information that could compromise the privacy of research participants].