Key Takeaways
- Depression rates among firefighters reach 51%, compared to 7% general population.
- 42% of firefighters report depressive symptoms.
- Police officers depression prevalence 29%, anxiety 28%.
- Approximately 37% of firefighters surveyed reported symptoms consistent with PTSD, compared to 6.5% in the general population, according to a 2018 study.
- 24.5% of firefighters experience current PTSD, with 46.8% experiencing it at some point in their career, per a 2013 Australian study of 1131 firefighters.
- Among U.S. firefighters, the prevalence of probable PTSD is 20.3%, significantly higher than the general population's 6.8%.
- 44% of firefighters reported alcohol misuse, with 19.5% meeting criteria for alcohol use disorder.
- 50% of firefighters binge drink monthly, 2x general population.
- Prescription opioid misuse among first responders 25%, higher post-injury.
- Firefighters are 53% more likely to die by suicide than the general population, with rates of 18.02 per 100,000 for career firefighters vs. 11.11 general.
- Suicide rates among firefighters are 9.6 per 100,000 career and 16.9 per 100,000 volunteer, compared to 13.3 national average.
- Law enforcement officers have a suicide rate 54% higher than the general population, at 17.0 per 100,000.
- Only 6.3% of firefighters with behavioral health conditions seek treatment due to stigma.
- 85% of first responders fear job loss if seeking mental health help.
- Only 4.4% of firefighters access peer support programs regularly.
Firefighters, police, and paramedics face strikingly high depression, anxiety, and PTSD rates, alongside preventable suicide risk.
Depression and Anxiety Statistics
Depression and Anxiety Statistics Interpretation
PTSD Statistics
PTSD Statistics Interpretation
Substance Abuse Statistics
Substance Abuse Statistics Interpretation
Suicide Statistics
Suicide Statistics Interpretation
Support and Treatment Statistics
Support and Treatment Statistics 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.
Marie Larsen. (2026, February 13). First Responders Mental Health Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/first-responders-mental-health-statistics
Marie Larsen. "First Responders Mental Health Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/first-responders-mental-health-statistics.
Marie Larsen. 2026. "First Responders Mental Health Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/first-responders-mental-health-statistics.
Sources & References
- Reference 1NFFFOUNDATIONnfffoundation.org
nfffoundation.org
- Reference 2PUBMEDpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Reference 3NCBIncbi.nlm.nih.gov
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Reference 4RFFrff.org
rff.org
- Reference 5JOURNALSjournals.sagepub.com
journals.sagepub.com
- Reference 6FIREFIGHTERBEHAVIORALHEALTHfirefighterbehavioralhealth.org
firefighterbehavioralhealth.org
- Reference 7POLICE1police1.com
police1.com
- Reference 8JOURNALSjournals.lww.com
journals.lww.com
- Reference 9PSYCNETpsycnet.apa.org
psycnet.apa.org
- Reference 10FSfs.usda.gov
fs.usda.gov
- Reference 11TANDFONLINEtandfonline.com
tandfonline.com
- Reference 12AJPHajph.aphapublications.org
ajph.aphapublications.org
- Reference 13VAva.gov
va.gov
- Reference 14FRONTIERSINfrontiersin.org
frontiersin.org
- Reference 15POLICEONEpoliceone.com
policeone.com
- Reference 16NVFCnvfc.org
nvfc.org
- Reference 17JEMSjems.com
jems.com
- Reference 18CDCcdc.gov
cdc.gov
- Reference 19BLOGSblogs.cdc.gov
blogs.cdc.gov
- Reference 20BLUEHENSUICIDEPREVENTIONbluehensuicideprevention.org
bluehensuicideprevention.org
- Reference 21IAFFiaff.org
iaff.org
- Reference 22THEIACPtheiacp.org
theiacp.org
- Reference 23FIRSTRESPONDERCENTERfirstrespondercenter.org
firstrespondercenter.org







