The relationship between role identity and mental health among paramedics

Abstract

Role identity theory describes the beneficial effects on health as a result of the purpose and meaning from occupying social roles. Amid high rates of mental illness among paramedics, we surveyed 589 (97%) paramedics from a single site in Ontario, Canada and evaluated for relationships between four dimensions of a previously validated paramedic role identity scale and symptoms of various mental disorders. Although we did not observe a relationship between role identity and mental disorder symptoms, we note with interest various differences in paramedic role identity across demographic categories that challenge previous characterizations of the profession and warrant further investigation.

Keywords:

• Paramedic
• mental health
• role identity
• post-traumatic stress disorder
• emergency medical services

Additional information

Funding

This research was financially supported by a catalyst fund to study post-traumatic stress illnesses among public safety personnel made available by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (competition number 201809PPS).