The need for psychological care and the current state of psychological stress among firefighters in involving life and death situations: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Summary Introduction : Japan is a disaster-prone country; therefore, providing psychological care to disaster relief workers, including firefighters and victims, is crucial. Japan is considered a high-mortality society. In emergency medical services, firefighters are likely to encounter life and death situations. However, the psychological stress levels of firefighters have not been clearly examined. Methods : This cross-sectional study used questionnaires. Results/Discussion : Approximately 90％ of the firefighters who had responded indicated the need for psychological care. The events that caused the highest levels of psychological stress were homicide and suicide, but the situation that was indicated as requiring psychological care the most was “the experience of a colleague’s death or injury.” Conclusion : Firefighters require consistent stress-reduction measures as they are under a lot of pressure and often life-threatening scenarios that require prompt and appropriate decision-making and response.