Key Takeaways
- 31% of firefighters reported clinically significant PTSD symptoms in a 2020 meta-analysis (overall prevalence estimate).
- 10.4% of firefighters met PTSD criteria in a 2017 systematic review and meta-analysis (pooled prevalence).
- 29.2% of firefighters had probable PTSD in a 2023 systematic review and meta-analysis (pooled estimate for probability).
- 90% of firefighters reported experiencing at least one potentially traumatic event, according to a 2019 study (exposure prevalence).
- 62% of firefighters reported responding to child-related incidents at least once, according to a 2020 survey (incident exposure prevalence).
- 33% of firefighters reported being present at a death scene in the past year (death-scene exposure prevalence).
- About 17% of firefighters reported experiencing suicidal ideation, and that ideation was associated with PTSD symptoms in a 2018 study (mental health comorbidity prevalence).
- In a 2017 study, depression was present in 46% of firefighters who screened positive for PTSD (comorbidity prevalence).
- Anxiety symptoms were reported by 58% of firefighters with probable PTSD in a 2019 study (comorbidity prevalence).
- Only 1 in 3 firefighters who screened positive for PTSD reported receiving mental health treatment in a 2019 survey (treatment receipt rate).
- In a 2020 study, 45% of firefighters with PTSD symptoms indicated they did not seek care due to stigma-related concerns (stigma barrier prevalence).
- A 2017 review reported that 5% to 20% of firefighters receive PTSD-related psychotherapy after critical incidents (treatment coverage range).
- In the U.S., workers’ compensation for first responders includes coverage for mental injury/PTSD where conditions are met; a 2020 NASI paper documents that 38 states recognize mental stress/PTSD claims for public safety workers (jurisdiction count).
- In the UK, the Health and Safety Executive’s work-related stress guidance cites that workers in high-exposure occupations can be affected by PTSD-like outcomes, supporting employer duty of care for psychological risks (regulatory duty).
- A 2021 peer-reviewed legal analysis found that courts commonly require specific linkage between work exposure and PTSD for compensability; it summarized 62 reported decisions in the examined period (decision count).
Roughly one in three firefighters report clinically significant PTSD symptoms, with key risk factors like trauma exposure.
Related reading
Prevalence Rates
Prevalence Rates Interpretation
More related reading
Exposure And Risk
Exposure And Risk Interpretation
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Mental Health Outcomes
Mental Health Outcomes Interpretation
Treatment And Care
Treatment And Care Interpretation
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Policy And Compensation
Policy And Compensation Interpretation
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Industry Trends
Industry Trends Interpretation
How We Rate Confidence
Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.
Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.
AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree
Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.
AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree
All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.
AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
Thomas Lindqvist. (2026, February 13). Firefighter Ptsd Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/firefighter-ptsd-statistics
Thomas Lindqvist. "Firefighter Ptsd Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/firefighter-ptsd-statistics.
Thomas Lindqvist. 2026. "Firefighter Ptsd Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/firefighter-ptsd-statistics.
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