Population Health Research Brief Series

Emergency medical service (EMS) workers face triple the risk for significant mental health problems like depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) compared to the general population.

This brief summarizes the results of a study that surveyed EMS workers in Syracuse, NY to better understand how their mental health symptoms relate to daily occupational stressors. These stressors can take the form of routine work demands, critical incidents involving serious harm or death, and social conflicts.

The study also examined whether daily mental health symptoms may be reduced through protective behaviors in the form of recovery activities such as exercising, socializing with other people, and finding meaning in the day’s challenges.