Comparison of Online Resilience and Psychological Safety Courses for Canadian Public Safety Personnel

Public Safety Personnel (PSP) face numerous potentially psychologically traumatic events in the line of duty. Resilience courses intended to mitigate the effects of operational stress injuries in this population—many of which are available online—have proliferated in recent years. An environmental scan yielded 15 courses that met all inclusion criteria. Courses were required to be offered for $250 or less and had to be created and/or hosted in Canada. Courses focused on individual (n = 7), family (n = 2), or workplace (n = 6) resilience. A qualitative content analysis was conducted. Data were extracted from public-facing documents and course materials, and supplemented by additional text materials and contacting program staff for clarification, when necessary. Coding and synthesis were completed in iterative team meetings. Courses were compared across numerous dimensions, including focus, intended audience, cost, enrollment details, length, instructional style, customization for PSP, and completion requirements. Nearly half of the courses (46.7%) were available free of charge. Outcome data were available for four of the courses, with most studies showing initial gains in resilience, skills, knowledge, attitudes, intentions, and/or behaviors, but with evidence of skill decay over time. The potential benefit of short refresher sessions warrants further investigation.