The Impact of Critical Incidents on Mental Health: An Exploratory Pilot Study into the Moderating Effects of Social Support on the Impact of Adverse Events in Dutch Rescue Workers

This study investigated mental health-and work-related problems of 67 rescue workers (police officers and medical emergency drivers) caused by the accumulation of critical incidents during their career. Using Hobfoll's theory of conservation of resources, this is one of the first studies in The Netherlands that tries to shed some light at the number of critical incidents experienced by rescue workers. The moderation effect of social support from colleagues and supervisors was also studied. Although no effects were found for the health questionnaires, a significant effect was found for the number of critical incidents on the experience of workload. No significant moderation effects of social support were found. Implications for police practice, such as using assessment tools for critical incidents and further research are discussed.