Mental Health and Substance Use in Wildland Firefighters and Support Staff
- 1School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Human and Health Sciences, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, BC V2N 4Z9, Canada
- 2Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human and Health Sciences, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, BC V2N 4Z9, Canada
Abstract
Wildfire seasons are becoming longer and more intense in British Columbia (BC), Canada and across the globe, equating to increased occupational demand for wildland firefighters and non-suppression staff. The limited research available indicates that wildland firefighters and fire dispatchers are at increased risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, substance misuse, and suicide. The psychological consequences of these intense careers remain understudied and poorly understood, limiting the development of urgently needed supports for wildland fire service personnel. Using a cross-sectional survey, we assessed mental health outcomes in 254 wildland firefighters (68.5% men) and 97 non-suppression staff (28.9% men) employed by the BC Wildfire Service during the 2023 fire season. High rates of probable PTSD (24.5%), probable Major Depressive Disorder (MDD; 31.6%), probable Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD; 30.5%), and high suicide risk (34.2%) were identified in the overall sample. These data indicate that wildland firefighters in BC and their non-suppression colleagues face risk of adverse mental health outcomes at rates that exceed those found in the general population.
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BibTeX
@article{lane2026mental,
title = {{Mental Health and Substance Use in Wildland Firefighters and Support Staff}},
author = {Alexandra Lane and Nicole White and Paul D. Siakaluk and Chelsea Pelletier},
journal = {Fire},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/fire9100455},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3390/fire9100455},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Mental Health and Substance Use in Wildland Firefighters and Support Staff
AU - Alexandra Lane
AU - Nicole White
AU - Paul D. Siakaluk
AU - Chelsea Pelletier
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/26
JO - Fire
DO - 10.3390/fire9100455
UR - https://doi.org/10.3390/fire9100455
AB - Wildfire seasons are becoming longer and more intense in British Columbia (BC), Canada and across the globe, equating to increased occupational demand for wildland firefighters and non-suppression staff. The limited research available indicates that wildland firefighters and fire dispatchers are at increased risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, substance misuse, and suicide. The psychological consequences of these intense careers remain understudied and poorly understood, limiting the development of urgently needed supports for wildland fire service personnel. Using a cross-sectional survey, we assessed mental health outcomes in 254 wildland firefighters (68.5% men) and 97 non-suppression staff (28.9% men) employed by the BC Wildfire Service during the 2023 fire season. High rates of probable PTSD (24.5%), probable Major Depressive Disorder (MDD; 31.6%), probable Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD; 30.5%), and high suicide risk (34.2%) were identified in the overall sample. These data indicate that wildland firefighters in BC and their non-suppression colleagues face risk of adverse mental health outcomes at rates that exceed those found in the general population.
SN - 2571-6255
ER -