HomeBase: Enhancing mental wellness in public safety personnel families

Public safety personnel (PSP), including police officers, fire fighters, paramedics, corrections personnel, and communications officers, are routinely exposed to potentially traumatic critical incidents that can have negative effects on their mental health and well-being. These negative effects can ripple into their family systems, which are already contending with PSP lifestyle dimensions like shiftwork and sleep disruption. Little is known about the specific experiences of PSP families. Much can be drawn from the experiences of military and veteran families, for whom there is a mature body of research on mental health and military lifestyle impacts. Working in close collaboration with representatives from family organizations, PSP, and PSP organizations, this study will take place in two phases. Phase 1 will involve two parallel research streams. We will identify and analyze existing PSP organizational and community-based supports for PSP families. We will also investigate the experiences and needs of PSP families regarding post-traumatic stress and PSP lifestyle dimensions like shiftwork. Findings will be synthesized and then priority statements will be created. In Phase 2, we will work with the PSP/family community to identify which priority statements are common and unique across the sectors, to problem solve barriers, and to embrace opportunities towards actioning these priorities. We will develop family-focused resources and tailor recommendations for PSP sectors to enhance the mental wellness of PSP and their families. Our established and multi-disciplinary research team consists of national and international researchers and experts to ensure that the complex and diverse lived experiences of Canadian PSP families are appropriately incorporated into the resources and recommendations. This research will be shared through traditional academic channels but also through rapid open science strategies with the community.