Fighting the fires within - breaking down the barriers to mental health help-seeking among emergency services personnel experiencing posttraumatic stress disorder and psychological distress

Wavne Rikkers

doi:10.26182/y3rk-3579

Fighting the fires within - breaking down the barriers to mental health help-seeking among emergency services personnel experiencing posttraumatic stress disorder and psychological distress

Wavne Rikkers

Graduate School of Education

Research output: Thesis › Doctoral Thesis

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Abstract

First responders experience mental health conditions at twice the rate of the general population. They remain reluctant to seek help due to workplace stigma and career concerns. The aim of this study was to explore more deeply the barriers to help-seeking in this population in order to identify patterns or characteristics associated with these barriers, with a view to identifying possible solutions. The thesis comprises one qualitative and three quantitative studies which identified two findings which are unique in the literature, one related to how barriers are reported and the other to a new type of treatment model.

Original language	English
Qualification	Doctor of Philosophy
Awarding Institution	The University of Western Australia
Supervisors/Advisors	Chapman, Elaine, Supervisor Lawrence, David, Supervisor Houghton, Stephen, Supervisor
Thesis sponsors	Australian Government Research Training Program
Award date	22 Feb 2023
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.26182/y3rk-3579
Publication status	Unpublished - 2022

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10.26182/y3rk-3579

THESIS - DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY - RIKKERS Wavne - 2022
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2 Article

Barriers to seeking help for an emotional or mental health condition among Australian emergency services workers
Rikkers, W. & Lawrence, D., Aug 2022, In: Australasian Journal of Disaster and Trauma Studies. 26, 1, p. 23-40 18 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Mental health help-seeking experiences and service use among Australian first responders
Rikkers, W. & Lawrence, D., 2021, In: Australian Journal of Psychology. 73, 2, p. 125-133 9 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
15 Citations (Scopus)

Cite this

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AB - First responders experience mental health conditions at twice the rate of the general population. They remain reluctant to seek help due to workplace stigma and career concerns. The aim of this study was to explore more deeply the barriers to help-seeking in this population in order to identify patterns or characteristics associated with these barriers, with a view to identifying possible solutions. The thesis comprises one qualitative and three quantitative studies which identified two findings which are unique in the literature, one related to how barriers are reported and the other to a new type of treatment model.

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KW - mental health

KW - help seeking

KW - posttraumatic stress disorder

KW - psychological distress

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M3 - Doctoral Thesis

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Fighting the fires within - breaking down the barriers to mental health help-seeking among emergency services personnel experiencing posttraumatic stress disorder and psychological distress

Abstract

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Research output

Barriers to seeking help for an emotional or mental health condition among Australian emergency services workers

Mental health help-seeking experiences and service use among Australian first responders

Cite this