PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (January 31, 2023) — An associate professor of psychology at Prairie View A&M University has been awarded a grant to fuel research focused on understanding and supporting the mental health needs of first responders while also considering how these needs may vary based on their racial, gender and cultural identities. The research project explores how intervention efforts that promote a positive work environment and increase coping skills can improve the health outcomes of those in the first responder community.
Temilola Salami, Ph.D.
The grant, totaling $288,414 from the Office of the Texas Governor’s Victims of Crime Act Fund, was awarded to Temilola Salami, Ph.D., for her “First Responder Mental Health Program – Direct Service Outreach” project.
In addition to teaching in the Department of Psychology at PVAMU, Dr. Salami also directs The Health and Resilience Initiative for Vulnerable and Excluded Groups (weTHRIVE) lab, an award-winning lab dedicated to bridging the health disparities gap and decreasing negative health outcomes related to psychological distress and trauma among marginalized populations – primarily law enforcement populations, racially/ethnically diverse populations, and human trafficking victims.
“This funding helps to propel research devoted to enhancing cultural competence and addressing mental health disparities, which is essential to improving health care for underserved populations,” said PVAMU Vice President of Research & Innovation Magesh Rajan, Ph.D., P.E., MBA. “The work of Dr. Salami and the weTHRIVE lab reinforces PVAMU’s commitment to nurturing the health and well-being of all members of our community, which extends to those responsible for protecting and serving the public at large.”
Salami and her team have discovered that supportive work environments can increase the organizational performance and overall well-being of first responders. Intervention programs that foster companionship, encouragement and therapeutic listening among peers can help counteract the effects of first responders’ traumatic or chronic stress.
Given that first responders have higher rates of emotional exhaustion, there is a greater risk of critical errors occurring in high-stress situations. Therefore, implementing ways to increase first responders’ coping skills can further diminish the effects of stress within these populations. “Including emotion regulation skills training within a first responder intervention will teach participants to better regulate their emotions and improve their mental health symptoms,” said Salami.
Her research also reveals that the stigma associated with mental illness – which is prevalent among the overall first responder population, but especially within law enforcement – must be considered when designing an intervention program for this group. In certain male-dominated first responder occupations where masculinity contest cultures exist, first responders may repress emotions to avoid appearing vulnerable. This emotional repression can exacerbate mental health issues such as depression, PTSD and substance use disorders.
As Dr. Salami’s work shows, by establishing programs for first responders that cultivate supportive environments and effectively address negative emotionality, better mental health outcomes within these communities are possible.
By Leigh Badrigian
This article originally appeared in the January edition of “On the RISE.”
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