Impacts of Chronic Stress
Firefighting is a stressful occupation, so it's no surprise that first responders deal with more than their fair share of chronic stress. A firefighter’s life is filled with rigorous schedules, taxing shiftwork, and long work weeks, making it physically and mentally exhausting career. With that being said, the fire service provides an excellent lifestyle and career path for those who join. This article should simply serve to inform you and/or your loved ones on the impacts of chronic stress in order to manage or avoid those impacts in the future.
Firefighting is a physically demanding occupation requiring regular physical training. As a result, many firefighters are in better shape than those in the general population. However, even though they may be in great physical shape, the chronic stress they routinely experience can often put their physical health at greater risk than the average office worker.
Research featuring the health hazards firefighters routinely face has focused mostly on the physical, thermal, and chemical risks, with minimal attention paid to the mental stressors.
However, the psychosocial stressors inherent in the industry are starting to receive more interest. In particular, the mental and emotional strain that builds from continual exposure to workplace events and job characteristics, such as the fire station tones used to alert firefighters and sleep deprivation have started to receive much-deserved attention.
Physiological Impact
Stress creates tense muscles, and when in that state for long periods, it can lead to tension-type headaches and migraines.
The physiological effects of intermittent stress, such as when we're forced to slam on the brakes in traffic, are short-lived. We will experience a momentary uptick in heart rate and a tensioning and contraction of the heart muscle. There is also a brief increase in the stress hormones - adrenaline, noradrenaline, and cortisol - which are parts of the messaging mechanism that trigger the stress response.
Blood vessels supplying the large muscles and heart dilate to increase the flow of blood and subsequently produce a rise in blood pressure. The above are all physiological symptoms of the fight or flight response. Once the danger has passed, the body drops back to its normal state.
People with chronic stress experience the above physiological conditions for long periods and the cumulative effects are responsible for many health conditions. This systematic review of twenty-nine studies [1] revealed a causal link between work-related stressors and increased health risk in six key areas, including:
Firefighters are exposed to many stressors, increasing risk for impacts of chronic stress.
● Depression-suicidality
● Non-depressive mental health issues
● Sleep Quality
● Somatic disorders
● Physiological challenges
● Burnout
According to Suzanne Smith, MSN, NP at UCLA, one tactic that may help with mitigating the impacts of chronic stress is to engage your parasympathetic nervous system with diaphragmatic breathing. Other activities that may help include yoga, meditation, and exercise.
Check out “Managing Stress as a Firefighter” for solutions to preventing and overcoming stress in the fire service.
Reference:
Igboanugo, S., Bigelow, P. L., & Mielke, J. G. (2021). Health outcomes of psychosocial stress within firefighters: A systematic review of the research landscape. Journal of Occupational Health, 63(1). https://doi.org/10.1002/1348-9585.12219