Impact of pilot study FLAMHe, a primary psychomotor and psychological prevention program, on PTSD risk factors in firefighters

This pilot study aims to observe the impact of FLAMHe (Firefighters, Leverage, Accompaniment, Mental Health), a primary prevention training program combining psychoeducation and psychomotor practice, to 33 men professional firefighters. Co-administred by a psychologist and a psychomotor therapist, the intervention was designed to strengthen several protective factors against post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), including psychopathological knowledge, coping strategies, social support, and body awareness. A pre–post controlled design was implemented to evaluate changes in these dimensions using quantitative measures (PCL-5, CD-RISC-10, FCFS, Brief COPE, MAIA-2, and a knowledge questionnaire). The results indicate a significant improvement in PTSD-related knowledge, a reduction in avoidance coping strategies, and a decrease in post-traumatic symptoms one month after the intervention. Other domains—such as resilience, coping flexibility, and body awareness showed limited or non-significant effects, although positive trends were observed. These results provide preliminary support for integrating complementary cognitive and body-focused approaches in PTSD prevention and highlight the potential value of combining psychoeducational and psychomotor modules in firefighter continuing education. Larger-scale longitudinal studies, including women and additional professional ranks, are required to confirm and extend these initial findings.