An app developed by UMN researchers in collaboration with the Minnesota Department of Health is now being used in all 50 states.
The First Responder Toolkit allows users to take surveys so they can monitor job-related stress, or compassion fatigue, and then offers tips, resources and feedback — including that it might be time to take a break. About 30 percent of first responders experience depression or post-traumatic stress disorder, compared with 20 percent of the general population. They’re also at higher risk of dying by suicide, according to federal estimates.
Tai Mendenhall, an associate professor who helped develop the app, said the ultimate goal of the app is to allow health and emergency response professionals take care of themselves so they can continue to take care of others.
Listen to the segment on MPR's All Things Considered.