Mental health and social support among public safety personnel

Social support may be a protective factor for the mental health of public safety personnel (PSP), who are frequently exposed to potentially psychologically traumatic events and report substantial post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) symptoms. Research examining perceived social support and its association with PTSD and MDD in different PSP categories (e.g. firefighters, paramedics) is limited. This article is to examine differences in perceived social support across PSP and determine whether perceived social support is associated with differences in rates of MDD and PTSD.