Mental Health and Substance Use in Wildland Firefighters and Support Staff

Wildfire seasons are becoming longer and more intense in British Columbia (BC), Canada and across the globe, equating to increased occupational demand for wildland firefighters and non-suppression staff. The limited research available indicates that wildland firefighters and fire dispatchers are at increased risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, substance misuse, and suicide. The psychological consequences of these intense careers remain understudied and poorly understood, limiting the development of urgently needed supports for wildland fire service personnel. Using a cross-sectional survey, we assessed mental health outcomes in 254 wildland firefighters (68.5% men) and 97 non-suppression staff (28.9% men) employed by the BC Wildfire Service during the 2023 fire season. High rates of probable PTSD (24.5%), probable Major Depressive Disorder (MDD; 31.6%), probable Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD; 30.5%), and high suicide risk (34.2%) were identified in the overall sample. These data indicate that wildland firefighters in BC and their non-suppression colleagues face risk of adverse mental health outcomes at rates that exceed those found in the general population.