Arkansas researchers are working to address the mental health issues faced by first responders.
"They're exposed to things many of us are not and many of us don't realize," Dr. Sara Jones, assistant professor in the UAMS College of Nursing, said. "When they experience these, there's not much for them to do with what they've been exposed to." In a survey of 220 Arkansas firefighters, paramedics and EMTs, 26 percent reported significant symptoms of PTSD, and 34 percent indicated high risk for suicide.
"They pretty much have their own culture," Jones said. "They are similar to a family in that they go through a lot of things together, but at the same time, when it comes to mental health they're not talking about it."