Introduction:
First responder personnel, including police officers, firefighters, and paramedics, face unique occupational stressors and are known to be at an elevated risk for suicide (Kyron et al., 2021). In Australia, there has been an increase in the rates of suicide in emergency services over the last 10 years (Payne, 2023). The suicide of a current or former Emergency Service personnel member is a tragic event that affects their families, loved ones, or co-workers in unique ways, and civilian resources and services are often inappropriate for these groups. There is a need to better understand and support families and co-workers of Emergency Service personnel when bereaving a service suicide through effective postvention programs. Consequently, this project aimed to better understand the perceptions and experiences of those impacted by the suicide death of an Emergency Services member, and the barriers and enablers to those individuals accessing support services.
Methods:
This study is collecting data via an online qualitative survey with open-ended questions, and an optional semi-structured interview co-developed with a lived experience stakeholder advisory committee. The survey focuses on the barriers and enablers to knowledge of, access to, and utilisation of services for the families and co-workers of first responders who have died by suicide. Interview questions are developed out of survey responses under a critical realist grounded theory framework, allowing us to better understand what is needed, and systematically collect and analyse data to unpack contextual structures, mechanisms, perceptions, and experiences that may impact those needs.
Results:
Preliminary survey and interview data will be presented, outlining what factors impact the knowledge of, access to, and utilisation of services for the families and co-workers of first responders who have died by suicide across Australia. Implications for generating information guides and culturally appropriate support after suicide resources and training will be discussed, alongside recommendations for policy change.
Conclusion:
Listening to the experiences and perceptions of family members and co-workers who have been impacted by suicide will increase our understanding of what is needed to support family members and co-workers impacted by the suicide death of an Emergency Services member. This will allow us to develop a national framework and best practice guideline for postvention within emergency services communities with the hope that this framework would be designed to be something that is capable of being legislated into policy in Australia. It may also support informing of international postvention policies and decision making.