Eight percent of first responders in Virginia had recent thoughts of suicide, according to a survey conducted by the Fairfax Coalition of Police.
FCOP surveyed 26 different first responder agencies across the state of Virginia. For comparison, the estimated rate of suicidal thoughts among the general U.S. population is only three percent.
The study also showed that almost one in four respondents said they suffered from depression because of their jobs.
Nearly 5,000 people completed the survey, and about 60 percent of them spoke up about topics like trauma, depression, alcohol use and suicidal thoughts.
The survey respondents also spoke up about why they are not receiving the help that they need. Three out of ten respondents said they wanted to “tough it out” or handle it on their own—another three out of 10 said they were scared for their employer to find out.