Recommendations to improve the mental health of emergency responders

Emergency response team in action

A new report out this week (6 July 2020), makes recommendations to improve the mental health of emergency responders.

The report, Assessing the mental health and wellbeing of the Emergency Responder community in the UK, based on research conducted by the OU’s Centre for Policing Research and King’s College London, identified a need to better understand several areas of wellbeing in those who respond to emergencies, such as self-harm, suicide, alcohol and substance misuse, sleep, bullying, financial concerns and the positive outcomes of working in this sector.

The Principal Investigator at the OU, Dr Gini Harrison in the OU’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, said:

“The project has highlighted the intense pressures on emergency responders’ mental health and wellbeing, and we believe the recommendations of this new report provide a useful road map of priorities.

“By working with excellent partners at the King’s Centre for Military Health Research (KCMHR) and through the Royal Foundation Emergency Responder Stakeholder Group, we have brought together knowledge across the sector, from research, policy and practice for the first time in this report."

Key recommendations made in the report

  • Stressors that impact the mental health of emergency responders need to be assessed more systematically at the organisational level
  • Wellbeing support needs to be integrated into these organisations
  • Best practice across the sector could be shared more widely and wellbeing support offered through a ‘Universal Gateway’
  • The sector could benefit a ‘Research Consortium' where researchers can share their research ideas and resources

Read the report and its findings

Find out about research at the OU’s Centre for Policing Research and Learning

Contact our news team

For all out of hours enquiries, please telephone +44 (0)7901 515891

Contact details

News & articles

Dr Sara Calvo Martinez, with shoulder length dark blond hair, wearing a blue and white polka-dot blouse, smiling at the camera

Research image of the month – amplifying voices through visual research

This month’s research image of the month (August 2025) encapsulates Dr Sara Calvo Martinez’s research on how community social enterprises can create inclusive, healing, and empowering spaces for marginalised groups.

See all