Feds investing $11 million in post-traumatic stress injury research

The federal government is providing more than $11 million to the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) to research and better understand, treat and prevent post-traumatic stress injuries (PTSI) in public safety occupations.

The CIHR is providing 22 oneyear grants of up to $150,000 for a total investment of $2.95 million that will serve as a springboard for researchers who are increasing the understanding of how to identify, treat and prevent PTSI among public safety workers. The CIHR is also investing $8.4 million in a team grants in PTSI competition which will support four-year research projects designed to develop the new research evidence and tools needed to address gaps in PTSI among public safety personnel with the results of the competition becoming available in March 2020. “The investments we are highlighting … underscore the Government of Canada’s commitment to providing evidence-based solutions to improve the quality of life of the brave men and women who risk their own safety and well-being to keep Canadians safe,” said Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor in a news release.

The funding announcement comes shortly after the publishing of Exit Wounds, a four-part joint series by the Windsor Star and London Free Press detailing the personal toll and treatment options available for emergency workers coping with the mental disorder.

The 2018 federal budget committed $20 million over five years to support a new national research consortium between CIHR and the Canadian Institute for Public Safety Research and Treatment (CIPSRT) to address PTSI among public safety personnel. “Public safety personnel put themselves in harm’s way to protect Canadians, putting them disproportionately at risk of posttraumatic stress injuries,” said Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Minister Ralph Goodale in the release.

“Our country must do more to protect the mental well-being of public safety officers on the job. The initiatives highlighted … will help address gaps in PTSI research and inform long-term plans to support the mental health and wellbeing of our public safety personnel.”

The CIPSRT will act as the national research consortium’s knowledge exchange hub, bringing together researchers funded through the CIHR competitions with all relevant stakeholders in order to co-ordinate activities and move the knowledge created into active use.

“Today’s announcement emphasizes the incredible power of collaboration among ministries, the research community, CIHR, CIPSRT and stakeholder groups,” said Dr. Samuel Weiss, scientific director of the CIHR Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction.

“These investments will stimulate new scientific knowledge on PTSI, and create a national hub for knowledge exchange and co-ordination that will ultimately drive better mental health outcomes for Canada’s hard-working public safety personnel.”

The government is also investing $10 million over five years beginning in 2018-19 for Public Safety Canada to work with CIPSRT to create an internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy pilot as a means of providing greater access to care and treatment for public safety officers.

Also, the RCMP is investing $10 million in a longitudinal study of the mental health of new recruits. CIPSRT is conducting that work to monitor and track real-life experiences of officers and the accumulating consequences of those experiences over a protracted period of time.

The findings will help the force to develop appropriate mental wellness and remedial strategies and also pass the information on to other emergency response organizations.