VFBV

Have your say on the mental health of police and emergency services

The world’s largest study on mental health across emergency services personnel is happening right here, right now. 

Some of you have been invited to participate, with the aim of the beyondblue Answering the Call survey to collect invaluable information about the issues affecting the mental health and wellbeing of police and emergency services personnel.

The data will give beyondblue the evidence it needs to determine the best ways to provide support.

The survey investigates the prevalence of common mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression, as well as post-traumatic stress disorder and suicide risk.

It will also collect important information about stigma, use of support services and programs, and factors that impact on the mental health of police and emergency services personnel.

Since October 2017, about 100,000 current and former employees and volunteers in police and emergency services agencies across Australia have been invited to participate.

Even the most resilient police and emergency services worker and volunteer can be affected by stress and trauma. That’s why VFBV is supporting Answering the call – beyondblue’s National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing of Police and Emergency Services Personnel.

We are working with beyondblue and CFA on a world-first national study to provide clear evidence about the issues affecting the mental health of police and emergency services personnel and identify the best ways to provide support.

Employees, volunteers and former employees from police, fire and rescue, ambulance and emergency services across Australia are being invited to participate in a short survey. In Victoria, VFBV has strongly advocated and supported CFA to be involved, and volunteers were sent invitations to participate on Friday 2nd February 2018.  If you receive an invitation we encourage you to participate.

beyondblue and VFBV is committed to working with organisations in the police and emergency services sector to ensure the survey results are used to improve the mental health and wellbeing of police and emergency services personnel.

The survey is completely voluntary and anonymous. Agencies will not see anyone’s individual responses, as the online survey is being hosted by independent research organisation, Roy Morgan Research, and analysed independently by The University of Western Australia. No individual responses will be provided to CFA or VFBV.

A representative random sample  of CFA volunteers is being invited to participate in the survey. Participants have been selected at random and not on the basis of their wellbeing. This is to provide a representation of the needs of the whole police and emergency services sector. If you were randomly selected, you will have received an email at the email address recorded on CFA’s RMS system. For further information on the survey, please visit beyondblue.org.au/pesresearch and click on the ‘FAQs for participants’ link. You can also phone the research team on 1800 677 248 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Don’t miss out on having your say! Check your email to start the survey. Double check your SPAM or JUNK folders to see if you received it. The invitation were emailed on Friday 2nd February, and would have been sent from this address: (Beyond Blue PE Survey) This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

A Frequently Asked Questions document can be found here

National Mental Health and Wellbeing Study of Police and Emergency Services

Project Overview

beyondblue is currently undertaking the National Mental Health and Wellbeing Study of Police and Emergency Services (Study). The Study aims to improve the mental health and wellbeing of police and emergency services personnel and reduce their risk of suicide by identifying evidence-based strategies focused on change at individual, organisational and systems levels. The findings of the completed Study will be used to inform the work of the beyondblue PES Program and influence policy and practice within police and emergency services and among governments responsible for these frontline services.

Rationale for the Study

Existing prevalence research on police and emergency services workforces in countries outside Australia shows that police and emergency services employees have higher rates of stress, depression, anxiety and PTSD, when compared with the general population. Research comparing police and emergency services’ suicide rates with general population suicide rates varies widely in its findings.

In Australia, a range of studies have been conducted to establish prevalence data and environmental data. Australian research has generally focused on a single population group (e.g. police officers in one agency), or issue (e.g. PTSD among fire-fighters in a given State). There is a lack of robust prevalence data examining the full range of common mental health issues and the spectrum of suicide risk (e.g. ideation, suicide attempts) experienced by police and emergency services personnel, including issues of co-morbidity of mental health conditions, and mental health conditions with substance misuse and physical health. Nor do we know which police and emergency services personnel are at greatest risk of experiencing a mental health condition or of experiencing suicidality or dying by suicide. There is also a dearth of data on the knowledge, attitudinal and behavioural factors of police and emergency services personnel that influence help-seeking for mental health conditions and that enables associations to be drawn about the individual, organisational and systems level risk and protective factors for mental health conditions and suicide. Measures of mental wellbeing are also lacking, and little is known about the influence of, and impact on, personal relationships and families.

The lack of appropriate data makes it difficult to understand the true nature of the mental health and wellbeing of this workforce (both serving and former), commonalities across and within specific cohorts, and the malleable factors that can be impacted on through appropriate interventions. These evidence gaps present critical risks for the development, implementation and evaluation of existing approaches within police and emergency services agencies that aim to improve mental health and reduce suicide risk among police and emergency services personnel.

There is a need for a comprehensive national dataset to establish essential baseline prevalence measures, individual knowledge, identify attitudinal and behavioural factors that influence help-seeking, and establish risk and protective factors for mental health, including the organisational policies and practices associated with mental health and suicide among police and emergency services personnel. This dataset is also required to design and develop appropriate interventions at an individual, organisational and systemic level.

The Study aims to fill this evidence gap in a way that ensures the police and emergency services sector is able to translate the research findings into practical actions that will lead to better mental health and decreased suicide risk for police and emergency services personnel in Australia.

The key components of the Study are:

- Mapping of existing research (complete)
- Advisory Group
- Phase 1: personal stories (complete)
- Phase 2: nationally representative survey
- Phase 3A: developing a knowledge translation plan
- Phase 3B: implementing the knowledge translation plan

Key components of the Study

Mapping of existing research The complex array of factors affecting the mental health of police and emergency services personnel, and long-standing recognition of the high-risk nature of their roles, means they are a heavily surveyed population. In order to ensure the Study fills existing knowledge gaps effectively, and avoids duplication and survey fatigue, beyondblue engaged Phoenix Australia to undertake a rapid mapping exercise of recent research relating to the mental health and suicide of police and emergency services personnel in Australia.

The mapping will be used to inform the approach to Phases 2 and 3 of the Study and enable beyondblue and the Study research team to more effectively engage with key researchers and agencies already contributing to the knowledge base in this field.

It should be noted a sizeable consultation process was undertaken to inform the design of the Study. This included interviews with 13 expert academics, 18 sector representatives, and 3 other stakeholders with relevant expertise, to seek advice on how to approach a range of aspects of the research such as the Study design, comparative datasets, target populations, stakeholder engagement, recruitment and administration, sampling, response rate, and knowledge translation. The three-phase Study design and all planned approach to the project have been shaped by this expert advice and influenced by beyondblue’s engagement with the police and emergency services sector.

Phase 1
Phase 1 was an exploratory qualitative Study designed to understand the experiences of current and former employees of police and emergency services, and their partners and families, in respect of factors that contribute to positive and negative mental health outcomes. Data gathered will inform the approach to the next phases of the Study, as well as provide a source of personal stories to facilitate engagement with the Study and the PES Program more broadly. This phase was undertaken by Whereto Research and completed in November 2016.

Advisory Group
beyondblue is committed to working collaboratively on the Study and ensure it is informed by the diversity and depth of expertise in the police and emergency services sector. An Advisory Group has been formed to provide strategic guidance for the Study. This group had its first meeting on 20 February 2017. The is chaired by Ken Lay AO APM, Chairman of Ambulance Victoria and former Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police, and includes representatives from agencies, unions and community groups, clinicians and academics, a former police officer and family member of an emergency services employee.

Phase 2
beyondblue has engaged The University of Western Australia and Roy Morgan Research to undertake Phase 2 of the Study which is a knowledge generation project involving a nationally representative cross-sectional survey of police and emergency services personnel in Australia.

The national survey will examine a broad range of issues relating to both the prevalence of wellbeing and the prevalence of common mental health conditions, help-seeking behaviours, and risk and protective factors in police and emergency services workplaces. This will form the bulk of the data collected for the Study.

The aim of Phase 2 of the Study is to establish a comprehensive understanding of the mental health and wellbeing of current police and emergency services personnel in Australia.

The objectives of this Phase are to:
- establish high-quality, national baseline measures for mental wellbeing, common mental health conditions, suicidality and associated substance use and/or physical health comorbidities in police and emergency services personnel;
- examine a broad range of risk and protective factors associated with mental health and mental illhealth among police and emergency services personnel in Australia;
- increase the evidence base on the influence of policies and practices aimed at promoting mental health and wellbeing among police and emergency services personnel; and
- identify the knowledge, attitudinal and behavioural factors that influence help-seeking for mental health conditions among police and emergency services personnel.

This phase of the Study will address the following research questions:

- What is the prevalance of mental wellbeing, common mental health conditions, suicidality and associated substance use and/or physical health comorbidities among police and emergency services personnel?;
- Are there any demographic, geographic or sector sub-groups at higher or lower risk of mental health conditions or suicidality?;
- What are the individual and organisational risk and protective factors associated with mental health and mental ill-health among police and emergency services personnel in Australia?; and,
- What are the individual knowledge, attitudinal and behavioural factors that influence help-seeking for mental health conditions among police and emergency services personnel?

A rigorous sampling strategy is critical for Phase 2 of the Study in order to increase the likelihood of achieving a representative sample. beyondblue’s preferred approach for Phase 2 is to adopt a stratified, random sampling strategy for selecting current police and emergency services personnel to participate. This approach aims to maximise the quality of the data gathered by allowing for identification of any possible biases within the sample and developing appropriate post-hoc analyses to control for these. It relies on systematic engagement with every single police and emergency services agency in Australia.

Volunteers and former police and emergency services personnel will be included in Phase 2, in order to fill long-standing knowledge gaps. Modified sampling strategies may be used in consideration of difficulties in accessing these cohorts. Due to the difficulty of accessing family members in a way that produces quality data, this group is not within scope for Phase 2 of the Study.

An important consideration for beyondblue is using survey measures that may be employed again in the future by police and emergency services agencies seeking to conduct further research in future years, to build upon the baseline measures established by this survey.

The Phase 2 survey will be administered online, with a limited number of hard copies available if requested. A comprehensive communications plan has been developing to secure executive support for the project within agencies, and drive participation among individual police and emergency services personnel. The survey will be branded with beyondblue’s logo and marks.

Phase 3

Phase 3 is a collaborative ‘evidence to action’ project intended to draw on a range of perspectives from the police and emergency services sector on how the findings from Phases 1 and 2 can best be translated into practical improvements in the mental health of police and emergency services personnel across Australia. This Phase is essential for the Study to provide real value and impact. This Phase has two sub-phases – 3A and 3B – which are described below.

The knowledge translation objectives of Phase 3 of the Study are to:

- work with the police and emergency services sector to identify the practical actions they can take to improve mental health and wellbeing in police and emergency services personnel;
- increase the capability of police and emergency services organisations to know how to effectively promote good mental health and reduce suicide risk in the police and emergency services workforce;
- guide change at individual, organisational and systems levels to improve the mental health of police and emergency services personnel and reduce their risk of suicide;
- develop mechanisms to support the ongoing monitoring and evaluation of these strategies; and
- provide a platform for beyondblue to advocate for improved programs and support to protect and promote the mental health of police and emergency services personnel and their families, and reduce their risk of suicide. 

Detailed research questions are being developed for Phase 3 to explore the following key themes:

- What are stakeholders’ views on the implications of the findings from Phases 1 and 2 of the Study for police and emergency services agencies? What are the priorities for action?

- Drawing on the results of Phases 1 and 2, what are the most appropriate and effective ways to promote the mental health of current police and emergency services personnel through police and emergency services agencies and prevent the development of mental health conditions and suicide risk in police and emergency services personnel? How can those activities best be implemented in each organisation? What are the primary barriers and enabling factors for the implementation and impact of these activities and how can those be overcome or built upon? What are the critical factors for success? What is required to deliver on those strategies?

- What are the most appropriate and effective ways to support police and emergency services personnel who may be experiencing a mental health condition or suicide risk, and their families? How can those activities best be implemented in each organisation? What are the primary barriers to the implementation and impact of these activities and how can those barriers be overcome? What are the critical factors for success? What is required to deliver on those strategies?

- How should the proposed strategies for promotion, prevention and intervention be prioritised and by whom? Who should be responsible for co-ordinating efforts at the organisational and systems levels to implement these actions and how will they work in partnership with other police and emergency services stakeholders to achieve shared aims?

- What are the mechanisms that need to be put in place to support the ongoing routine monitoring and evaluation of the strategies identified by this Study? How will effectiveness be measured? Who will be responsible for implementing these mechanisms?

- What are the national indicators we should seek to monitor and how will this be done? How can the research instruments from Phase 2 of this Project be adapted and/or used by police and emergency services agencies seeking to measure the mental health and suicide risk of their workforces in the future?

Phase 3A: Developing a knowledge translation plan

beyondblue is seeking to apply best practice research methods to the Study and has engaged knowledge translation experts to lead the development of a knowledge translation, or ‘evidence to action’ plan for the Study. It is anticipated this plan will:

1. identify a broad range of goals, opportunities and activities which beyondblue and the police and emergency services sector could respond to, in order to translate the findings from Phases 1 and 2 of the Study, and other relevant research, into improved mental health and reduced suicide risk for police and emergency services personnel in Australia; and,

2. determine the core set of priority activities that will comprise Phase 3B of the Study and be undertaken by beyondblue and police and emergency services agencies and other key stakeholders.

Phase 3B: Implementing the knowledge translation plan

During Phase 3B, beyondblue and a dedicated team of researchers and other expert practitioners will support police and emergency services agencies and other key stakeholders to review the new evidence generated by the Study, and identify the best ways to respond. This will involve consulting with every agency regarding the findings of Phases 1 and 2 to figure out how to best interpret these findings, and apply them to meet the specific priorities and situation of each respective agency. Each agency operates within a unique context and the consultations will be informed by each organisation’s existing programs and services, specific needs, priorities, and network of partnerships and resources.

This stage of the Study aims to employ a collaborative, whole-of-sector approach to identify practical, evidence-based strategies to improve mental health and wellbeing within the individuals, organisations and systems that make up the Australian police and emergency services community. This will include agencies, unions and associations, insurers, regulators, relevant government departments, community and peer groups, individual employees and volunteers and family members.

For further information on the survey, please visit beyondblue.org.au/pesresearch and click on the ‘FAQs for participants’ link. You can also phone the research team on 1800 677 248 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.