@article {bnh-3230, title = {Psychophysiological relationships between a multi-component self-report measure of mood, stress and behavioural signs and symptoms, and physiological stress responses during a simulated firefighting deployment}, journal = {International Journal of Psychophysiology}, volume = {110}, year = {2016}, month = {12/2016}, abstract = {

Physical work and sleep loss are wildland firefighting demands that elicit psychological and physiological stress responses. Research shows that these responses are statistically related which presents an opportunity to use subjective psychological questionnaires to monitor physiological changes among firefighters; an approach used extensively in sport settings. The aim of the present study was to investigate if changes in self-reported psychological factors on the multi-component training distress scale (MTDS), relate to cytokines and cortisol levels among firefighters completing three days of simulated physical firefighting work separated by an 8-h or restricted 4-h sleep each night. Each day firefighters completed the MTDS in the morning and salivary cortisol and inflammatory cytokines were measured throughout the day. When sleep restricted, firefighters demonstrated increases in MTDS factors of general fatigue, perceived stress and depressed mood that were related to elevated cytokines (TNF-α, IL-8, IL-10, IL-6) and cortisol. Conversely, firefighters who had an 8-h sleep demonstrated a positive relationship between physical signs and symptoms and elevated IL-6, while depressed mood was inversely related to decreasing cortisol and cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α, IL-10). Findings highlight the utility of the MTDS to detect psychological changes that reflect physiological responses among firefighters. Future research that establishes thresholds for specific factors which predict health-related physiological changes, will allow fire agencies implement multi-component measures to monitor and manage the health of personnel on the fire-ground.

}, doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2016.10.015}, url = {http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167876016307681}, author = {Alexander Wolkow and Brad Aisbett and Sally Ferguson and John Reynolds and Luana Main} } @article {bnh-1788, title = {The Stress of Firefighting Report}, year = {2012}, month = {08/2012}, abstract = {

Fire and rescue staff routinely endure significant psychological and environmental stress exposure on the job. While much has been done to improve understanding of the physiological effects of exposure to these conditions, little has been done to quantify the inflammatory stress response that firefighters are exposed to during wildfire suppression. Therefore the aim of the present study was to explore whether firefighters experienced a change in inflammatory markers following one day, and across two days of wildfire suppression tasks. Twelve male fire-fighters participated in two consecutive days of live-fire prescribed burn operations in Ngarkat National Park, South Australia. Typical work tasks included lighting burns, patrolling containment lines, supressing spot fires, and operating vehicles. A number of the inflammatory markers changed significantly across the course of a shift and several presented with an attenuated response across the second day. This finding implies that there was a compounding effect of repeated exposure to these stressors which could have considerable implications for managing fire-fighters health and wellbeing over a multi-day campaign. Further research is required to see which fire ground stressor, or combination of stressors is causing these changes in the inflammatory markers across consecutive work shifts.

}, isbn = {978-0-9806759-6-2}, author = {Alexander Wolkow and Luana Main and Raines, Jenni and Paul Della Gatta and Rodney Snow and Brad Aisbett} }