Paramedic stress focus of Toronto ombudsman probe

Toronto ombudsman Fiona Crean is launching an investigation into how the city's paramedics handle stress related to their work, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Occupation stress injuries, the subject of Crean'sstudy, is the blanket term for arange of persistent psychological problems triggered by on-the-job activities, including anxiety, depression, alcohol and drug dependency andPTSD.

"There's increasing evidence that the stress and trauma that police, firefighters and paramedics face every day can affect their mental and emotional health," Crean said in a statement Thursday. "And a recent report by the Paramedics Chiefs of Canada has suggested these problems could be on the rise."

• Beyondthe sirens: inside the life of a paramedic
• PTSDa nightmare for many first responders

Ontario's Tema Conter Memorial Trust tracks suicide rates among Canadian first responders.

Executive director Vince Savoia said 25 first responders across the country have died by suicide since Jan. 1, 10 of whom were paramedics. Three lived in Ontario.

Paramedics'unique relationship with patients

Savoia said the Trust supports the ombudsman's efforts. Paramedics share unique experiences with the patients they try to save, he said, making it common for them to experience operational stress injuries such as compassion fatigue syndrome.

"Sometimes the medic has to spend two, three, four hours with a patient before they're extricated. How can you not, over that timeframe, actually bond with the patient you're trying to help?"he asked.

"That personal interaction, the amount of time paramedics spend with the patients, is far greater than police or fire will ever spend, usually."

Approximately 24 per cent of paramedics suffer from an operational stress injury, Savoia said.