As California fire seasons worsen, organizations serving first responders are trying to spread the word about the need for mental health services. And they’re encouraging family members and loved ones of firefighters to seek help, too.
“It’s that vicarious trauma,” said Cal Fire Battalion Chief Nikole Schutz, speaking during last year's Camp Fire. “Seeing things on social media or being exposed to it all the time, knowing they’re gone for a length of time, just those exposures or the unknowns can affect family members.”
A report from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration shows that 30 percent of first responders develop behavioral health conditions, compared with 20 percent of the general population. A 2015 survey of more than 4,000 first responders found 37 percent had contemplated suicide and almost 7 percent had attempted it.
Psychologist Joel Fay with the nonprofit First Responders Support Network says the firefighters who were on the Camp Fire last year are likely still processing their trauma.
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