Public safety is a high-stress industry, and first responders, dispatchers and other front-line employees can suffer from high rates of burnout, depression and even post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Another thing that can happen is moral injury, which occurs when someone witnesses or is unable to prevent atrocity or something that counters their moral beliefs.
Hexagon’s Jack Williams talks to Dr. Michelle Lilly, associate professor of clinical psychology at Northern Illinois University, about how public safety agencies can enhance the overall mental health and well-being of their front-line employees.
“What we found is about 17-25% of 911 telecommunicators screened positive for PTSD. That’s compared to about 3-5% in the general population…,” said Lilly.
