A survey among First Responders, of more than 4,000 who were surveyed, 6.6% had attempted suicide which is ten times the rate of the general public. 

 

Officer suicides took more lives than gunfire and traffic accidents combined in 2016. 

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More than 1/3 of First Responders are affected by PTSD.

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First Responders suffer from an increased divorce rate.

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Substance abuse in First Responders is approximately 10 percent, or double the national average.  

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Suicide and addiction occur at a staggering rate among first responders and military members, due to post-traumatic stress disorder, coupled with a gaping hole in accessible, appropriate mental health care and a stigma that keeps many of them from seeking help ~Navy veteran Eric Golnick.

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“Responding to devastating scenes takes a toll on you mentally and psychologically….Still, the first responder culture doesn’t promote talking about trauma with colleagues.  It really affected me — I couldn’t sleep,” Robert Williams, program manager at the Paramus clinic and a former emergency medical services technician in East Orange.

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