Wellness Testing for First Responders

Like most civilians, I long believed all first responders had access to the best healthcare resources. Surely they must, due simply to the nature of their jobs and how stressful and strenuous they can be. Then I had a conversation that changed that perception. 

A little more than three years ago, I had the pleasure of meeting and speaking at length with a former first responder. They informed me of the risks that afflict this community, and it astonished me. Here are some of the numbers that have been reported (knowing the real numbers are unknown due to a lack of research and reporting). First responders on average are:

• 10 times more likely than nonresponders to attempt suicide; 
• 2–3 times more likely to experience domestic abuse; 
• 5–7 times more likely to have substance-abuse or alcohol problems. 

In addition, 85% of first responders experience symptoms related to mental health issues, and 34% have received a diagnosis related to PTSD or depression.

How can we do better?

A Blueprint of Health

This new information and awareness of the lack of proper resources got me thinking. If it’s not being provided, what else can we do? I concluded there needed to be more focus on prevention. I come from a background in the lab industry and have done extensive research into different types of testing and assessments that can provide an in-depth overview of what your total health picture looks like. Developing a blueprint of responders’ overall health seemed a good place to start. 

Such testing could help prepare responders to understand the effects on their health when exposed to large amounts of hormones during times of high stress. This correlates to fatigue and mental health injuries. Testing, like we do for diabetes and other conditions, could help us identify and anticipate potential or unforeseen injuries and better protect and heal responders. Stress can also contribute to a long list of physical problems, so it’s important to be thorough in our assessments. 

Peak 1 Wellness worked with public safety organizations to conduct mobile wellness assessments where we brought in our own doctor and saw members of the department and their family members. Their visits included a consultation with the doctor, a PTSD evaluation, blood work, and a pharmacogenetics test. 

While putting on these events, we started noticing something miraculous happening: First responders started to open up and disclose some of the struggles they were dealing with. They were also asking for solutions and resources for help. This told us we were on the right track for this population.

Since then, through what we learned, we’ve added services and created new partnerships. We now offer training for departments on the importance of mental health protection, how to identify potential issues, and what solutions are available. Trusted partners help determine the best treatment solution for each person. The goal in almost every circumstance is to make sure the individual comes back fit for duty. Importantly, we make sure the families have support and get help as well.

There are programs that vet and train facilities on how to treat first responders. These facilities will be certified for first responder treatment and monitored and held to specific standards. 

Focus on Prevention

Why is prevention so important? It’s well known that the sooner we know about a problem, the easier it is to manage. Staying healthy and living a long life starts with preventive healthcare. Due to the nature of their jobs, first responders and their families are at a higher risk of suffering from depression, PTSD, anxiety, and other health conditions. Operating with a high level of the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline weakens the immune system. Your body is wired to react to stress in ways meant to protect you. But when stressors are always present, that fight-or-flight reaction stays turned on. The long-term activation of the stress-response system and overexposure to stress hormones that follow can disrupt almost all your body’s processes. This puts you at increased risk of many health problems, including anxiety, depression, digestive problems, headaches, heart disease, sleep problems, and weight gain. 

Post-traumatic stress disorder continues to gain recognition. But though the diagnosis has helped so many, the D in PTSD, the word disorder, has become a source of stigma. It’s important moving forward to drop that word and avoid creating a perception that this is something that can’t be overcome. Many experts now prefer the term PTSI, for post-traumatic stress injury. Treating injuries early may prevent them from becoming disorders. Education, testing, and treatment are key to returning an individual to a healthy state.

Receiving proper health assessments on a routine basis is something we hope will become a new standard for the first responder population. Aside from the obvious benefits of early detection and better potential outcomes, there are great financial benefits as well. Saving money in areas where healthcare is extremely costly allows funds to be allocated elsewhere.

One very important test that has great therapeutic value and significant cost savings is pharmacogenetic testing. It improves the quality of care by reducing the occurrence of adverse drug reactions, risk exposure, and unnecessary prescribing of expensive medications. 

Proactive vs. Reactive

The approach to dealing with many of these issues so far has been heavily reactive. There is a “get sick, seek help” mentality. At this point we are often too late. 

It has been reported that the life expectancy of a police officer is approximately 56 years, while the general population’s is 78. Ben Stone of Sigma Tactical Health says, “The algorithm used to predict cardiac risk, [the] Framingham Risk Analysis, began in the 1970s. While there have been some revisions, the basis for the FRA is a basic lipid panel and complete metabolic panel, both of which are affordable, user friendly (don’t require a lot of blood), and can be done multiple times a year if necessary. However, as per the statistics of life expectancy inside law enforcement, clearly, the FRA has done little to predict, adequately, the likelihood of cardiovascular disease outside of civilian populations. That said, police officers have a life expectancy that is 20 years less than civilians. Also, half of LEOs will have a heart attack before their 45th birthday. Moreover, for every ‘bad guy’ that kills a police officer, 25 LEOs will die from heart disease.” However, this is not only true of law enforcement. The numbers are similar across all first responders. 

First responders are held to a higher standard but don’t receive a higher standard of care. Departments invest in all kinds of protective equipment for the body; it’s time to start protecting against the biggest threat to first responders, which is themselves. Education, awareness, and resources are crucial, from the beginnings of their careers to the end. 

Resources

Police One, www.policeone.com. 

PTSInjury, www.posttraumaticstressinjury.org/. 

Sigma. Fit for Duty, https://iamsigma.com/. 

University of Phoenix. Majority of First Responders Face Mental Health Challenges in the Workplace, www.phoenix.edu/about_us/media-center/news/uopx-releases-first-responder-mental-health-survey-results.html. 

Chelsea Davenport is cofounder and clinical director of Peak 1 Wellness.