PTSS Lab - Innovative PTSI Research for Trauma Exposed Professionals

Research has long established that serving RCMP members frequently screen positive for mental health disorders, but it has remained unclear exactly when these challenges begin to develop after deployment. Listen to the podcast to learn about the significant increase in positive screens for disorders like PTSD and Major Depressive Disorder after just the first year of service, and how these finding...

First responders face an elevated risk of Major Adverse Cardiac Events (MACE) due to occupational stressors, yet the early physiological warning signs linking the "head to the heart" often go undetected during early training. Listen to the podcast to learn how mental health symptoms were found to correlate with increased cardiac strain among RCMP Cadets and what these findings from the 1...

Police recruit training is associated with a major shift in social roles and might influence personality, but currently, there is limited research assessing personality changes in RCMP Cadets following the Cadet Training Program. Listen to the podcast to learn about how the training program influences traits like anxiety, perfectionism, and inquisitiveness, resulting in personality profiles consid...

RCMP are frequently exposed to potentially psychologically traumatic events (PPTEs) while on duty, but it is less clear if RCMP cadets are exposed to PPTEs during the 26-week Cadet Training Program (CTP). Determining when career-related PPTE exposures begin to accumulate can help to inform additional opportunities to increase the safety and well-being of cadets during the CTP and while serving. Li...

Public safety personnel are frequently exposed to potentially psychologically traumatic events during their work, but there is less understanding regarding adverse experiences that PSP may have faced before entering the profession. Listen to the podcast to learn about how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) may impact resilience among RCMP Cadets starting the Cadet Training Program.

Current research suggests that RCMP cadet mental health when starting the Cadet Training Program appears comparable to, or better than, the general public. At pre-deployment, the same Cadets evidenced improved mental health relative to their pre-training assessments, and better mental health than serving RCMP. Listen to the podcast to learn about the self-monitoring tools provided to RCMP Study pa...

The cardiac cycle timing intervals and measurements of heart function can provide key insights to an individual’s stress levels. Considering that RCMP members have an increased risk for developing various posttraumatic stress injuries, monitoring their heart function can be vital to identify worrisome changes which can lead to a future medical complication. Listen to the podcast to learn about car...

Despite the higher prevalence of mental health disorders among serving RCMP relative to the general population, RCMP cadets begin training with lower putative risk and greater perceived resilience than young adults in the general population. Listen to the podcast to learn about the effectiveness of the Cadet Training Program in strengthening RCMP cadets’ mental health through putative risk and res...

The high number of serving RCMP members with mental health disorders have often been incorrectly attributed to inadequate mental health screening of cadets, or the potentially harmful nature of police training programs. Listen to the podcast to learn about RCMP cadet mental health at pre-deployment.

Listen to the podcast to learn about the relationship between voluntary participation in daily mental health monitoring and prevalence of mental health disorder symptoms among RCMP cadets.

Nearly half of RCMP officers report experiencing chronic pain, most of whom report chronic pain indicate that the pain began after they started serving. Establishing baseline chronic pain estimates among cadets at the start of the Cadet Training Program can help determine whether occupational risk factors contribute to the high rates of chronic pain reported by RCMP officers. Listen to the podcast...

Research efforts to understand risk and resilience profiles for developing posttraumatic stress injuries have included work focused on identifying associations between mental health disorders and specific personality traits. Listen to the podcast to learn about associations between personality and mental health among RCMP cadets.

PPTE exposures and other cumulative stressors can lead to chronic mental health challenges, including PTSD and other posttraumatic stress injuries; therefore, early detection of cardiac dysfunction can serve as a potentially proactive mental health measure. Listen to the podcast to learn about potential benefits of cardiac monitoring for first responders and other PSP.

Cardioautonomic flexibility refers to changes in heart and body functions in response to stress or other external stimuli, and may serve as a biological indicator of mental health challenges and heart-related risk factors among RCMP. Listen to the podcast to learn about variations in cardioautonomic flexibility among cadets in the RCMP Cadet Training Program.

Choosing RCMP recruits who have personality traits associated with positive job performance and mental resilience is crucial. Listen to the podcast to learn about personality traits and sociodemographic differences among RCMP cadets.

RCMP officers experience an elevated risk for mental health disorders due to inherent work-related exposures to potentially psychologically traumatic events and occupational stressors. RCMP officers also report high levels of stigma and low levels of intentions to seek mental health services. Listen to the podcast to learn about the relationship between mental health knowledge, stigma against peer...

RCMP report experiencing extremely frequent potentially psychologically traumatic events. Increased reporting of mental health symptoms been linked to PPTE exposures. Programs promoting physical activity may be useful interventions to supplement or pair with mental health interventions. Listen to the podcast to learn about the relationship between physical activity and reported mental health disor...

RCMP officers report high levels of mental health disorder symptoms. Participation in regular mental health monitoring has been associated with improved mental health disorder symptom reporting and may provide an accessible tool to support RCMP mental health. Listen to the podcast to learn about relationships between self-reported mental health disorder symptoms and the completion of daily surveys...

Mental health disorders are prevalent among active-duty RCMP officers. The current study was designed to assess whether RCMP cadets commencing the Cadet Training Program are inherently at greater risk of developing mental health challenges based on putative risk and resiliency scores. Listen to the podcast to learn about putative risk and resiliency variables among RCMP cadets.

Approximately 50% of serving RCMP have screened positive for one or more mental disorders based on self-reported symptoms. Mental health challenges for military and paramilitary populations have historically been attributed to insufficient recruit screening; however, cadet mental health when starting the Cadet Training Program was unknown. Listen to the podcast to learn about RCMP Cadet mental hea...

RCMP report extremely frequent and varied exposures to potentially psychologically traumatic events. While occupational exposures to PPTEs may be one explanation for the symptoms of mental disorders prevalent among serving RCMP, exposures occurring prior to service may also play a role. Listen to the podcast to learn about lifetime PPTE exposures among RCMP cadets and associations with mental diso...

RCMP report diverse occupational stressors and repeated exposures to potentially psychologically traumatic events, which may increase the odds of screening positive for a mental disorder, and increase the risk of death by suicide. Listen to the podcast to learn about the prevalence of suicidal ideation and sociodemographic differences among cadets at the start of the RCMP CTP.

Certain populations, such as PSP, experience frequent exposures to potentially psychologically traumatic events and other occupational stressors, increasing their risk for mental health challenges. Social support has been evidenced as a protective factor for mental health. Listen to the podcast to learn about perceived social support and its associations with symptoms related to mental disorders a...

The goal of the RCMP Longitudinal PTSD Study is to help identify problematic stress very early, provide evidence-based recommendations, and facilitate early access to effective mental health care. Ideally, the ultimate outcome from this Study will be the development of an evidence-based training system for mental health that reduces risk, increases resilience, and enhances treatment efforts if tre...