A worker who sustains a physical injury on the job has something concrete to help prove the injury is work-related. Damage to mental health is less obvious, and the link to employment is harder to prove, but those unseen wounds can last longer and be more damaging than broken bones and lacerations.
While B.C. has some of the “broadest workers’ compensation legislation for mental disorders in Canada,” according to Labour Minister Shirley Bond, more data should be gathered to see if WorkSafe B.C. is living up to its mission of helping “British Columbians come home from work safe every day,” particularly as it relates to post-traumatic stress disorder among first responders.
Lisa Jennings of Victoria says the province falls short when it comes to support for first responders who suffer from PTSD. The former paramedic believes it should be easier to make a mental-illness claim with WorkSafe B.C. and the province should change its legislation on the issue so the onus is not on the worker to prove the illness is work-related.
Jennings has been fighting to have her own PTSD recognized as work-related since 2014. The decision on her final appeal is due Jan. 17.
Post-traumatic stress disorder is a relatively new term — it was added to the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in 1980 — but the disorder is old. It is caused by either single events or, more commonly, repeated exposure to traumatic events.
“Traumatic events may include crimes, natural disasters, accidents, war or conflict, sexual violence or other threats to life or safety,” says the Canadian Mental Health Association.
“Military personnel, first responders (police, firefighters and paramedics), doctors and nurses experience higher rates of PTSD than other professions,” says the CMHA.
It has long been known that veterans of combat were prone to suffering from what was labelled as “shell shock” or “combat fatigue.” Yet attitudes in the military have not traditionally been conducive to treating the disorder and supporting its sufferers. Progress has been made, but it’s slow.
Recognition is growing that police, firefighters and other emergency personnel are constantly exposed to trauma. It is no surprise that first responders would be susceptible to PTSD. For police officers, each day brings the distinct possibility of life-threatening situations, and most officers will experience many traumatic events during their careers.
When paramedics respond to calls, it’s never something good — someone is usually hurt, ill, dying or dead. Yes, some calls are for petty complaints, but they tend to add to the frustration.
There is undoubtedly considerable satisfaction in saving a life, easing someone’s pain or removing a danger to society, but the constant stress will inevitably take its toll. According to the Tema Conter Trust — which is dedicated to research, training and support for PTSD sufferers — about 87 per cent of first responders have admitted to experiencing PTSD symptoms stemming from their work.
Symptoms include nightmares, anxieties, lack of focus, emotional numbness and feelings of impending doom. Social and family relationships suffer, the ability to perform well in the workplace is diminished, and in the most serious cases, suicide results.
Jennings has been charting suicides among B.C.’s first responders — 19 in 2016, up from 14 the previous year — which she believes is proof PTSD sufferers are not getting the help they need from WorkSafe B.C. Our province has a higher rate of suicides for first responders than any other province, according to the Tema Conter Trust.
Jennings is right to raise concerns about PTSD. We don’t know if it requires new legislation or a change in WorkSafe B.C. regulations, but something definitely needs to change.
