Psychology Faculty

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Browsing Psychology Faculty by Author "Andrews, Katie, L."

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    Assessing the Relative Impact of Diverse Stressors among Canadian Coast Guard and Conservation and Protection Officers
    (Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 2022-12-07) Andrews, Katie, L.; Jamshidi, Laleh; Nisbet, Jolan; Teckchandani, Taylor; Price, Jill, A. B.; Ricciardelli, Rosemary; Anderson, Gregory, S.; Carleton, R. Nicholas
    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 and C&P and assessed relationships with PPTEs and mental health disorders. Participants (n = 341; 58.4% male) completed an online survey assessing self-reported occupational stressors, PPTEs, and mental health disorder symptoms. CCG and C&P Officers reported significantly lower mean overall and item-level organizational and operational stress scores compared to other Canadian PSP. Mean operational stress scores were statistically significantly associated with increased odds of screening positive for all mental disorders and organizational stress scores were statistically significantly associated with increased odds of screening positive for all mental disorders except social anxiety disorder. Participants reported several item-level occupational stressors associated with screening positive for posttraumatic stress disorder, general anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and alcohol use disorder, even after accounting for diverse PPTE exposures. Exposure to PPTEs may be a regular part of employment for CCG and C&P PSP; however, bureaucratic red tape, staff shortages, excessive administrative duties, physical conditioning, healthy eating, and fatigue are occupational stressors that appear significantly related to mental health. Ongoing mental health efforts are needed to mitigate and manage the impact of occupational stressors among CCG and C&P.
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    Exposures to Potentially Psychologically Traumatic Events among Canadian Coast Guard and Conservation and Protection Officers
    (Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 2022-11-16) Andrews, Katie, L.; Jamshidi, Laleh; Nisbet, Jolan; Teckchandani, Taylor, A.; Price, Jill, A. B.; Ricciardelli, Rosemary; Anderson, Gregory, S.; Carleton, R. Nicholas
    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 prevalent among PSP. The objective of the current study was to provide estimates of lifetime PPTE exposures among Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) and Conservation and Protection (C&P) Officers and to assess for associations between PPTEs, mental health disorders, and sociodemographic variables. Participants (n = 412; 55.3% male, 37.4% female) completed an online survey assessing self-reported PPTE exposures and self-reported symptoms of mental health disorders. Participants reported higher frequencies of lifetime exposures to PPTEs than the general population (all ps < 0.001) but lower frequencies than other Canadian PSP (p < 0.5). Several PPTE types were associated with increased odds of positive screens for posttraumatic stress disorder, major depressive disorder, general anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and alcohol use disorder (all ps < 0.05). Experiencing a serious transportation accident (77.4%), a serious accident at work, home, or during recreational activity (69.7%), and physical assault (69.4%) were among the PPTEs most frequently reported by participants. The current results provide the first known information describing PPTE exposures of CCG and C&P members, supporting the growing evidence that PPTEs are more frequent and varied among PSP and can be associated with diverse mental health disorders.
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    Mental Health Disorder Symptoms among Canadian Coast Guard and Conservation and Protection Officers
    (Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 2022-11-25) Andrews, Katie, L.; Jamshidi, Laleh; Nisbet, Jolan; Teckchandani, Taylor, A.; Price, Jill, A. B.; Ricciardelli, Rosemary; Anderson, Gregory, S.; Carleton, R. Nicholas
    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 developing symptoms of mental health disorders. The current study was designed to estimate the mental health disorder symptoms among Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) and Conservation and Protection (C&P) Officers. The participants (n = 412; 56.1% male, 37.4% female) completed an online survey assessing their current mental health disorder symptoms using screening measures and sociodemographic information. The participants screened positive for one or more current mental health disorders (42.0%; e.g., post-traumatic stress disorder, major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, alcohol use disorder) more frequently than in the general population diagnostic prevalence (10.1%; p < 0.001). The current results provide the first information describing the prevalence of current mental health disorder symptoms and subsequent positive screenings of CCG and C&P Officers. The results evidence a higher prevalence of positive screenings for mental health disorders than in the general population, and differences among the disorder-screening prevalence relative to other Canadian PSP. The current results provide insightful information into the mental health challenges facing CCG and C&P PSP and inform efforts to mitigate and manage PTSI among PSP. Ongoing efforts are needed to protect CCG and C&P Officers’ mental health by mitigating the impacts of risk factors and operational and organizational stressors through interventions and training, thus reducing the prevalence of occupational stress injuries.
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    Mental Health Training, Attitudes toward Support, and Screening Positive for Mental Disorders among Canadian Coast Guard and Conservation and Protection Officers
    (Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 2022-11-26) Andrews, Katie, L.; Jamshidi, Laleh; Nisbet, Jolan; te, Taylor, A.; Price, Jill, A. B.; Ricciardelli, Rosemary; Anderson, Gregory, S.; Carleton, R. Nicholas
    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 stress debriefing [CISD], peer support, mental health first aid, Road to Mental Readiness [R2MR]) exist as efforts to minimize the impact of exposures. To help inform on the impact of several categories of mental health training programs (i.e., CISM, CISD, mental health first aid, Peer Support, R2MR) for improving attitudes toward support and willingness to access supports among CCG and C&P officers, the current study assessed CCG and C&P Officers perceptions of access to professional (i.e., physicians, psychologists, psychiatrists, employee assistance programs, chaplains) and non-professional (i.e., spouse, friends, colleagues, leadership) support, and associations between training and mental health. Participants (n = 341; 58.4% male) completed an online survey assessing perceptions of support, experience with mental health training and symptoms of mental health disorders. CCG and C&P Officers reported access to professional and non-professional support; however, most indicated they would first access a spouse (73.8%), a friend (64.7%), or a physician (52.9%). Many participants would never, or only as a last resort, access other professional supports (24.0% to 47.9%), a CCG or C&P colleague (67.5%), or their leadership (75.7%). Participants who received any mental health training reported a lower prevalence of positive screens for all mental health disorders compared to those who did not received training; but no statistically significant associations were observed between mental health training categories and decreased odds for screening positive for mental disorders. The current results suggest that the mental health training categories yield comparable results; nevertheless, further research is needed to assess the shared and unique content across each training program. The results highlight the need to increase willingness to access professional and non-professional support among CCG and C&P Officers. Revisions to training programs for leadership and colleagues to reduce stigma around mental health challenges and support for PSP spouses, friends, and physicians may be beneficial.
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    Suicidal Ideation, Planning, and Attempts among Canadian Coast Guards and Conservation & Protection Officers
    (Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 2022-12-06) Nisbet, Jolan; Jamshidi, Laleh; Andrews, Katie, L.; Teckchandani, Taylor, A.; Price, Jill, A. B.; Ricciardelli, Rosemary; Anderson, Gregory, S.; Carleton, R. Nicholas
    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 information, and symptoms related to mental health disorders. Within the sample, participants reported lifetime suicidal ideation (25.7%), planning (10.9%), and attempts (5.5%). Participants reported past-year suicidal ideation (7.5%), planning (2.1%), and the percentage of attempts was too marginal to report due to ethical considerations. Canadian Coast Guard personnel and Conservation and Protection Officers reported higher percentages of past-year and lifetime suicidal ideation, planning, and attempts than the Canadian general population, but the percentages reported are comparable to other Canadian PSP sectors. No statistically significant results were observed for the sociodemographic covariates within the past-year, whereas, statistically significant results were observed for the lifetime sociodemographic covariates of age, province of residence, and previous work experience. There were statistically significant associations between past-year suicidal ideation and positive screens for major depressive disorder (MDD) and general anxiety disorder (GAD); as well, past-year suicidal planning was associated with social anxiety disorder (SAD). There were also statistically significant associations between lifetime suicidal ideation, planning, and attempts and positive screens for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), MDD, and SAD. Lifetime suicidal ideation and planning were associated with panic disorder (PD). The current estimates provide valuable information for clinicians and stakeholders involved in prevention programs, treatment, or future research.
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    Suicidal Ideation, Planning, and Attempts Among new Royal Canadian Mounted Police Cadets
    (SAGE Publications, 2023-02-03) Nisbet, Jolan; Jamshidi, Laleh; Maguire, Kirby, Q; Afifi, Tracie, O; Brunet, Alain; Fletcher, Amber, J.; Asmundson, Gordon; Sareen, Jitender; Shields, Robyn, E.; Andrews, Katie, L.; Sauer-Zavala, Shannon; Neary, J. Patrick; Lix, Lisa; Stewart, Sherry, H.; Krätzig, Gregory, P.; Carleton, R. Nicholas
    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 suicidal behaviours (i.e., ideation, planning, attempts) and assess for sociodemographic differences among cadets at the start of the RCMP Cadet Training Program (CTP)