R. Nicholas Carleton

University of Regina · Department of Psychology

Introduction Alors qu’on sait que le trouble de stress post-traumatique (TSPT) peut entraîner une augmentation du tonus sympathique, ses effets sur le cycle cardiaque ont été peu étudiés. Méthodologie Nous avons réalisé une revue de la littérature en interrogeant les bases de données PubMed, MEDLINE et Web of Science. Les articles traitant des mod...

Introduction Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can induce an elevation in sympathetic tone; however, research pertaining to the cardiac cycle in patients with PTSD is limited. Methods A literature review was conducted with PubMed, MEDLINE and Web of Science. Articles discussing changes and associations in echocardiography and PTSD or related sy...

Introduction Les premiers répondants comme les autres membres du personnel de sécurité publique (travailleurs correctionnels, pompiers, ambulanciers paramédicaux, policiers, agents des communications en sécurité publique, etc.) sont souvent exposés à des événements potentiellement traumatisants sur le plan psychologique. Ces expositions sont suscep...

Introduction First responders and other public safety personnel (PSP; e.g. correctional workers, firefighters, paramedics, police, public safety communicators) are often exposed to events that have the potential to be psychologically traumatizing. Such exposures may contribute to poor mental health outcomes and a greater need to seek mental health...

Objective: The current study examined variations in cardioautonomic lability during the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Cadet Training Program (CTP) between cadets starting their training who did or did not screened positive for one or more mental health disorders (i.e., posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD], major depressive disorder [MDD], so...

Objective: Public safety personnel (e.g., correctional workers, firefighters, paramedics, police officers) are frequently exposed to potentially traumatic events (PPTE) and report posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) difficulties more frequently than the general population. The PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) is a commonly used measure to screen p...

Police members can be exposed to morally transgressive events with potential for lasting psychosocial and spiritual harm. Through interviews with police members and police chaplains across Australia and New Zealand, this qualitative study explores the current role that police chaplains play in supporting members exposed to morally transgressive eve...

Background: Nurses are engaged in an unpredictable and dynamic work environment where they are exposed to events that may cause or contribute to physical and/or psychological injuries. Operational stress injury (OSI) may lead to an extended time away from work or nurses leaving the profession altogether. A deliberate focus on the workplace reinteg...

Objective: Cannabis use among veterans in Canada is an understudied public health priority. The current study examined cannabis use prevalence and the relationships between child maltreatment histories and deployment-related traumatic events (DRTEs) with past 12-month cannabis use including sex differences among Canadian veterans. Method: Data w...

Public safety personnel (PSP) face high rates of mental health problems and many barriers to care. Initial outcomes of transdiagnostic internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy (ICBT) tailored for PSP are promising, but prior research has not evaluated outcomes of PTSD-specific ICBT among PSP or PSP's preferences for transdiagnostic or PTSD-...

Trauma cue-elicited activation of automatic cannabis-related cognitive biases are theorized to contribute to comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder and cannabis use disorder. This phenomenon can be studied experimentally by combining the trauma cue reactivity paradigm (CRP) with cannabis-related cognitive processing tasks. In this study, we used a...

Can “resilience” protect key workers from poor mental health? First responders, other public safety personnel, and healthcare workers appear to be those most at risk of poor mental health following their occupations – but what does increasing resilience do, and how can governments protect their key workers? The contemporary Canadian healthcare mode...

Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers self-report high levels of mental health disorder symptoms, such as alcohol use disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, panic disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Participation in regular mental health monitoring has been associated with improved mental health symptom...

Mounting evidence highlights the high prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among correctional workers. The current analysis draws on survey response data to present a social profile of correctional workers in the province of Manitoba ( n = 580), Canada, who screened positive for PTSD ( n = 196). We examined demographic information, pr...

Firefighters are at increased risk for developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and face numerous barriers to accessing mental health care. Innovative ways to increase access to evidence-based interventions are needed. This study was a case series testing the acceptability, feasibility, and preliminary effectiveness of a paraprofessional-del...

Objective: Royal Canadian Mounted Police report experiencing extremely frequent potentially psychologically traumatic events (PPTE). In a recent study, approximately half of participating RCMP screened positive for one or more mental disorders, which is approximately five times the diagnostic proportion for the general Canadian population. Increase...

Background Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers experience an elevated risk for mental health disorders due to inherent work-related exposures to potentially psychologically traumatic events and occupational stressors. RCMP officers also report high levels of stigma and low levels of intentions to seek mental health services. In contrast,...

Objective: Serving Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have screened positive for one or more mental disorders based on self-reported symptoms with substantial prevalence (i.e., 50.2%). Mental health challenges for military and paramilitary populations have historically been attributed to insufficient recruit screening; however, cadet mental heal...

Workers at risk: How do traumatic jobs affect essential workers? Using an interdisciplinary team approach, doctors Anderson and Carleton have a long history of exploring the impact of potentially psychologically traumatic events (PPTEs; i.e., direct or indirect exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence) and other wo...

Objective Mental health disorders are prevalent among active-duty Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers. The current study was designed to assess whether RCMP cadets commencing the Cadet Training Program are inherently at greater risk of developing mental health challenges by statistically comparing cadet putative risk and resiliency scores...

Natural disasters, including floods, earthquakes, and hurricanes, result in devastating consequences at the individual and community levels. To date, much of the research reflecting the consequences of natural disasters focuses heavily on victims, with little attention paid to the personnel responding to such disasters. We conducted a systematic re...

Objective: Correctional work involves exposures to correctional-specific potentially psychologically traumatic events (PPTEs); however, the frequency and impact of such PPTEs on the mental health of correctional workers remain unclear. We analyzed the prevalence and frequency of 13 different occupational-specific PPTE exposures among correctional...

Objective: Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) report extremely frequent and varied exposures to potentially psychologically traumatic events (PPTEs). While occupational exposures to PPTEs may be one explanation for the symptoms of mental disorders prevalent among serving RCMP, exposures occurring prior to service may also play a role. The object...

Background: Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) report diverse occupational stressors and repeated exposures to potentially psychologically traumatic events, which may increase the odds of screening positive for a mental disorder, and increase the risk of death by suicide. The current study was designed to provide prevalence information regarding...

Introduction Certain populations, such as public safety personnel (PSP), experience frequent exposures to potentially psychologically traumatic events and other occupational stressors, increasing their risk for mental health challenges. Social support has been evidenced as a protective factor for mental health. However, research examining perceived...

Personalities of those entering the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Cadet Training Program (CTP) are unknown and may differ to the general public. The current study provides the first known detailed analyses of personality trait, sociodemographic, and gender differences among RCMP cadets. The current study draws data from the RCMP Longitudinal...

Public safety personnel (PSP) are known to experience difficult and demanding occupational environments, an environment that has been complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Firefighters, paramedics, and public safety communicators were among the front-line workers that continued to serve the public throughout the course of the pandemic. The present...

Background: Public safety personnel (PSP; e.g., border services personnel, correctional workers, firefighters, paramedics, police, public safety communicators) are frequently exposed to potentially psychologically traumatic events. Such events contribute to substantial and growing challenges from posttraumatic stress injuries (PTSIs), including bu...

Public Safety Personnel (PSP), including members of the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) and Conservation and Protection (C&P) officers, are regularly exposed to potentially psychologically traumatic events (PPTEs) and other occupational stressors (organizational and operational stressors). The current study quantified occupational stressors among CCG an...

The current study provides estimates of suicidal ideation, planning, and attempts among Canadian Coast Guard personnel and Canadian Conservation and Protection Officers. Participants (n = 385; 59% men) completed a self-report survey that collected past-year and lifetime estimates of suicidal ideation, planning, attempts, sociodemographic informatio...

Public Safety Personnel (PSP) including members of the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) and Conservation and Protection (C&P) officers, are regularly exposed to potentially psychologically traumatic events (PPTEs) and other occupational stressors. Several mental health training programs (e.g., critical incident stress management [CISM], critical incident...

Background Public safety personnel (PSP) are exposed to potentially psychologically traumatic events (PPTE) far more often than the general public, which increases the risk for various post-traumatic stress injuries (PTSIs). While there are many evidence-based psychological interventions for PTSI, the effectiveness of each intervention for PSP rema...

Canadian public safety personnel (PSP) screen positive for one or more mental health disorders, based on self-reported symptoms, at a prevalence much greater (i.e., 44.5%) than the diagnostic prevalence for the general public (10.1%). Potentially psychologically traumatic event (PPTE) exposures and occupational stressors increase the risks of devel...

Canadian Public Safety Personnel (PSP) (i.e., municipal/provincial police, firefighters, paramedics, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, correctional workers, dispatchers) report frequent and varied exposures to potentially psychologically traumatic events (PPTEs). Exposure to PPTEs may be one explanation for the symptoms of mental health disorders prev...

Public safety personnel (PSP) often experience stress due to their occupational demands that affect the family environment (e.g., work-family conflict, marital breakdown, disruption to home routines, and holidays). A substantial base of research has focused on the impact of PSP work on the marital relationship, but fewer studies have focused specif...

In this editorial, we draw on two Canadian cases to interrogate how mass causality events and investigations consume many responders before (e.g., public safety communicators, detachment service assistants), during (e.g., police, fire, paramedics), and after the incident (e.g., coroners, correctional workers, media coverage). Their well-being may s...

Self-compassion is the ability to offer oneself kindness and compassion in response to failure, suffering, or insecurity. Learning how to be self-compassionate through self-compassion training appears effective for improving psychological well-being in community samples and promising for clinical populations. The current randomized controlled trial...

nato’ we ho win is a trauma-and-violence-informed artistic and cultural intervention for Indigenous women who have experienced intimate partner violence. The results of this study provide evidence that engagement in nato’ we ho win had a positive impact on participants’ well-being. Participants completed self-report questionnaires at intake, post-i...

Public safety personnel (PSP) are frequently exposed to potentially psychologically traumatic events (PPTE). Frequent exposure to PPTE is associated with a high prevalence of mental health symptom reporting among PSP, and stigma is associated with lower rates of intended mental health service use for PSP. A valid and expedient measure of stigma cou...

Background Researchers and practitioners have begun to recognize and empirically examine the mental health challenges facing public safety personnel (PSP). Empirical results from longitudinal data collection among PSP remains extremely scant, particularly for institutional correctional workers. We designed the current study to assess the mental hea...

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), like all public safety personnel (PSP), are frequently exposed to potentially psychologically traumatic events that contribute to posttraumatic stress injuries (PTSI). Addressing PTSI is impeded by the limited available research. In this protocol paper, we describe the RCMP Study, part of the concerted effo...

Les membres de la Gendarmerie royale du Canada (GRC), comme l’ensemble du personnel de la sécurité publique, sont fréquemment exposés à des événements potentiellement traumatiques sur le plan psychologique qui contribuent à la survenue de blessures de stress post­traumatique. Le peu de travaux de recherche disponibles sur le sujet limite l’étude de...

Background—Public safety personnel (PSP) are at heightened risk of developing mental health challenges due to exposures to diverse stressors including potentially psychologically traumatic experiences. An increased focus on protecting PSP mental health has prompted demand for interventions designed to enhance resilience. While hundreds of available...

Introduction Public safety personnel (PSP; e.g., correctional employees, firefighters, paramedics, police, public safety communicators [PSC]) are regularly exposed to diverse risks; as such, PSP professions may attract and retain people with personalities that differ relative to each other and the general public. The current study provides the firs...

Public safety personnel (PSP) are frequently exposed to potentially psychologically traumatic events (PPTEs) which can impact mental health. To help mitigate the negative effects of PPTEs, PSP commonly rely on peer support. Peer support generally refers to a wide variety of mental health resources that offer social or emotional assistance to a peer...

Internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy (ICBT) is effective when tailored to meet the needs of public safety personnel (PSP). Nevertheless, there is limited research on the nature of the occupational stressors faced by PSP who seek ICBT and how PSP use ICBT to address occupational stressors. We provided tailored ICBT to PSP (N = 126; 54% wo...

Introduction: Recent research evidence indicates increased mental health needs among canadian armed Forces (caF) personnel. Research evidence also indicates that a portion of caF personnel with mental health needs do not seek professional mental health care or significantly delay initiating treatment. the current study was designed to examine indiv...

Article Open Access: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-022-01534-4 The aim of this research was to describe the evidence examining the approaches taken by mental health providers (MHPs) and chaplains to address symptoms related to moral injury (MI) or exposure to potentially morally injurious events (PMIEs). This research also considers the implicatio...

Public safety personnel (PSP) experience a disproportionately high number of on-the-job stressors compared to the general population. PSP develop self-initiated actions, or coping strategies , that either confront the situation (approach strategies) or avoid the situation (avoidance strategies) to reduce the impact of stressors on their well-being....

We know little about potentially psychologically traumatic events (PPTE) exposures among provincial correctional workers in diverse occupational positions and even less regarding how exposure to events are associated with mental health disorders. We designed the current study to unpack and quantify estimates of the frequencies that correctional wor...

Aims: We explore social and relational dynamics tied to an unexplored potentially psychologically traumatic event (PPTE) that can impact nurses' well-being and sense of their occupational responsibilities: namely, the moral, ethical, or professional dilemmas encountered in their occupational work. Design: We used a semi-constructed grounded theo...

Objective: We examined the prevalence of mental health disorders and suicidal behaviours (ideation, planning and attempts) among a sample of provincial correctional workers in Manitoba. Methods: Self-reported mental health data from a survey on correctional worker mental health and well-being were analyzed for 491 correctional workers. Results:...

Public Safety Personnel (PSP) experience significant job-related stressors including potentially psychologically traumatic event (PPTE) exposures that may compromise mental health; as such, strategies are needed to mitigate the impact of stressors. Substantial research evidence indicates that social support is a crucial strategy for enhancing menta...

Volunteer and career firefighters are at risk of major depressive disorders, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), alcohol use disorder, and other mental health disorders due to the demanding and unpredictable nature of their employment. The mental health risks are exacerbated by the need to work extended hours, night shifts, and/or rotating schedu...

Introduction Knowledge about the factors that contribute to the correctional officer’s (CO) mental health and well-being, or best practices for improving the mental health and well-being of COs, have been hampered by the dearth of rigorous longitudinal studies. In the current protocol, we share the approach used in the Canadian Correctional Workers...

The work of public safety personnel (PSP) is inherently moral; however, the ability of PSP to do what is good and right can be impeded and frustrated, leading to moral suffering. Left unresolved, moral suffering may develop into moral injury (MI) and potential psychological harm. The current study was designed to examine if MI is relevant to frontl...

First responders and other public safety personnel (PSP) experience elevated rates of mental disorders and face unique barriers to care. Internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy (ICBT) is an effective and accessible treatment that has demonstrated good treatment outcomes when tailored specifically for PSP. However, little is known about how...

Canadian public safety personnel (PSP) experience high rates of mental health problems and barriers to receiving care. Internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy (ICBT) may help reduce barriers to care; however, there is no literature involving qualitative analyses of client feedback to describe PSP experiences with ICBT. Identifying these ex...

Exposure to potentially psychologically traumatic events for correctional workers is high. However, the mechanisms driving the high prevalence are relatively unexplained. Using data from a cross-sectional, online survey of correctional service workers ( n = 845) in Ontario, Canada, collected in 2017–2018, we assess the prevalence of mental disorder...

In the current study, we quantified the mean stress levels of 43 occupational stressors for 868 Correctional Workers (CWs) and analyzed the relationships between occupational stressors, exposure to potentially psychologically traumatic events (PPTEs), and mental health disorders. Our findings emphasize the importance of the occupational environment...

Public safety personnel (PSP; e.g., communications officials, corrections workers, firefighters, paramedics, and police officers) are at risk of developing mental health problems due to experiencing potentially psychologically traumatic events during their career. Research examining evidence-based treatments for psychological injuries resulting fro...

Women police officers report elevated symptoms of mental disorders when compared to men police officers. Researchers have indicated that the occupational experience of policing differs greatly among men and women. Indeed, police culture is characterized by hegemonic masculinity, which appears to negatively impact both men and women. The current stu...

Canadian nurses have higher rates of mental disorder symptoms, suicidal behaviour and burnout than the general Canadian population. Exposure to potentially psychologically traumatic events (PPTEs), such as severe human suffering, life-threatening illness or injury and physical assault, can partially explain the decrease in nurses' well-being; howev...

Public Safety Personnel (PSP) include border services officers, public safety communications officials, correctional workers, firefighters (career and volunteer), Indigenous emergency managers, operational intelligence personnel, paramedics, police (municipal, provincial, and federal), and search and rescue personnel. PSP are regularly exposed to p...

Background Public safety personnel and frontline healthcare professionals are at increased risk of exposure to potentially psychologically traumatic events (PPTE) and developing posttraumatic stress injuries (PTSI, e.g., depression, anxiety) by the nature of their work. PTSI are also linked to increased absenteeism, suicidality, and performance dec...

The Public Health Agency of Canada declared suicide a public health problem in Canada (2016). Employees working in correctional services, researchers find, experience high rates of life-time suicidal ideation in comparison to other public safety professionals and the general population. Suicide behaviours (i.e., ideation, planning, attempts, death)...

Brief mental health disorder screening questionnaires (SQs) are used by psychiatrists, physicians, researchers, psychologists, and other mental health professionals and may provide an efficient method to guide clinicians to query symptom areas requiring further assessment. For example, annual screening has been used to help identify military person...

Background Public safety personnel (PSP) are exposed to potentially psychologically traumatic events (PPTE) far more often than the general public, which increases the risk for various posttraumatic stress injuries (PTSIs). There are many evidence-based psychological interventions for PTSI, but whether the interventions benefit PSP despite the repe...

Correctional workers are at increased risk for a variety of mental disorders relative to the general population. The increased risk appears associated with frequent exposures to a variety of potentially psychologically traumatic events; however, the Job Demand-Control model and the Job Demand-Control-Support model posit operational (job content) an...

Background Public Safety Personnel (e.g., firefighters, paramedics, and police officers) are routinely exposed to human suffering and need to make quick, morally challenging decisions. Such decisions can affect their psychological wellbeing. Participating in or observing an event or situation that conflicts with personal values can potentially lead...