Evaluation of a residential group therapy program for Canadian first responders

To assess the effects of a four-day, group-based residential treatment program focused on enhancing psychological health and social functioning of firefighter and police first responders in British Columbia, Canada.

Using a repeated-measures design, participants completed seven validated self-report questionnaires at baseline (pre-test T0), two weeks after the session (post-test T1), and six months follow-up (T2). A multilevel approach to the analysis of repeated measures examined the effects of the program on several indicators. These included symptoms of major depressive disorder, symptoms of generalized anxiety, symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, social role functioning, social support (giving and receiving), quality of life, and health related impairments.

A total of 106 police and 114 firefighters undertook the program. The baseline measures were completed by 207 (94 %) participants and 175 (80 %) completed at least one questionnaire at the longest follow-up. All outcomes measured improved from baseline to two-weeks post intervention (T0 to T1, p < 0.001), and sustained reductions at six months follow-up (T0 to T2, p < 0.001), except for giving social support. The highest standardized effect size (Cohen's d) observed at six months (T2) was for symptoms of major depressive disorder (d = -0.90), followed by symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (d = -0.75), symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (d = -0.69), symptom distress (d = -0.62), social role challenges (d = -0.58), quality of life (d = 0.44), interpersonal relations (d = -0.40), and receiving emotional support (d = 0.23).

Participation in this program appeared to improve subjective ratings of Canadian firefighter and police psychological health and social functioning. The results are promising and require further exploration with a randomized trial and longer-term follow-up.