Dr Wavne Rikkers
About
Dr Wavne Rikkers’ research identified the strategies and recommendations that emergency services agencies could adopt to improve the mental health and wellbeing of their workforce. The research focused on barriers to help-seeking by workers who have developed, or are at risk of developing, serious mental health conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, because of their work experiences. The findings indicate that emergency service agencies may need to address issues such as stigma or mental health literacy. The former requires a significant shift in culture and attitudes and the latter requires an easier fix that uses training programs aimed at increasing mental health literacy and improving the understanding of how early intervention and support can ameliorate the development or worsening of mental health conditions/symptoms.