A systematic review of psychosocial hazard management across the emergency services sector

Emergency Service workers face many challenges that impact their mental health and well-being. Of particular concern are psychosocial hazards (e.g., high job demands, exposure to traumatic events, low job control, poor supervisor support, violence, bullying, harassment). Research demonstrates psychosocial hazards are problematic, however, little is known about how they are currently managed in Emergency Services. This systematic review aimed to identify and evaluate (1) workplace psychosocial hazard management interventions, (2) intervention effectiveness, and (3) barriers to implementation in the Emergency Services sector. A search of five databases, CENTRAL, CINAHL, EMBASE, PsycINFO and PubMed, identified 13 studies that met inclusion criteria. Quality assessment involved Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) appraisal tools. Findings revealed interventions were predominantly reactive (e.g., support provided post-incident) rather than proactive. Interventions included peer support, mental health programs, leadership training, and workplace adjustments (e.g., shift schedule changes, structured downtime). Peer support and leadership training improved mental health awareness and access to mental health resources. Proactive interventions (e.g., shift schedule changes) were associated with improved work-life balance, job satisfaction and improved psychosocial well-being (e.g., reduced burnout and job strain). However, barriers (e.g., stigma, resource constraints) adversely impacted successful implementation. Future research should explore the development of interventions that prioritise preventative factors (e.g., increasing supervisor support, workload adjustments) as part of daily operations. A psychosocial hazard and risk policy evaluation may inform practical interventions that support Emergency Service operational demands. Development should prioritise co-designed interventions with Emergency Service workers to make sure they are relevant to their psychosocial needs.