Alcohol Misuse and Correlates with Mental Health Indicators among Firefighters
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21646044 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Rob J Rotunda (University of West Florida, corresponding author), Joseph R Herzog (0000-0003-4017-2002, University of West Florida), Joseph Herzog (University of West Florida), Dana R Dillard (0000-0003-3865-7991, Mississippi State University), Erin King (0000-0002-9641-1239, University of West Florida), Erin A King (0000-0002-7689-6208, University of West Florida), Kellie O’dare Wilson (0000-0002-3550-3930, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 60 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 236-243 |
| Publication date | 2025-01-28 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Substance Use & Misuse (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1082-6084 • E-ISSN: 1532-2491 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/10826084.2024.2422975 |
| PMID | 39511710 |
| OpenAlex | W4404196826 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 38 |
Background: Stress and repetitive exposures to potentially traumatizing events are inherent to first-responder professions. Firefighters and other crisis responders are often exposed to incidents in their work environments and are at risk of developing acute or posttraumatic symptomatology, depression, and anxiety, as well as harmful patterns of alcohol consumption. Most prior research and theory suggests that many firefighters use alcohol to cope with past and current stressors, and that increased drinking accompanies ongoing exposures to stressful occupational hazards. Objectives: The primary aim of this research was to examine alcohol consumption and mental health variables associated in the literature with alcohol misuse. Participants included 546 predominantly male career firefighters in the U.S. Using a cross-sectional design, we examined alcohol misuse in the context of self-reported depression, generalized anxiety, PTSD, and suicidal ideation using previously validated measures. Results: Based on the AUDIT’s recommended cut score of 8, 38.8% of our sample reported drinking at hazardous levels. Hazardous alcohol use was also significantly associated with several mental health indicators with correlations ranging from .28 to .34. Regression analyses revealed that over 14% of the variance in AUDIT scores could be explained by psychological symptom measures, and 29% of the variance in suicide risk was explained by a model using both alcohol and mental health measures. Conclusions: Findings suggest that psychological distress is associated with hazardous drinking, and that more consistent screening and referral for these issues, as well as multi-level interventions, are needed to effectively address these behavioral health concerns among firefighters
Environmental health · Mental health · Occupational safety and health · Psychiatry · Clinical Psychology · Medicine · Occupational Health and Performance · Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research · Psychology · Sleep and Work-Related Fatigue
The Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R)
Psychometric properties of the PTSD Checklist for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders–Fifth Edition (PCL-5) in veterans.
Exposures to potentially traumatic events among public safety personnel in Canada.
A systematic review of suicidal thoughts and behaviors among police officers, firefighters, EMTs, and paramedics
The Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM‐5 (PCL‐5)
A Brief Measure for Assessing Generalized Anxiety Disorder
The PHQ-9
Validation and Utility of a Self-report Version of PRIME-MD The PHQ Primary Care Study
A prospective study of firefighters’ PTSD and depression symptoms
Psychological treatments for complex PTSD
| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |