Suicide crisis for SA's first responders

The enormous pressure on police, ambulance workers and firefighters hammers their mental health. A recent survey showed 47.3% were depressed, 37.8% had generalised anxiety disorder, and 48.5% PTSD.

- WENDY JASSON DA COSTA ANITA NKONKI TRACY-LYNN RUITERS

EVERY week, a South African police officer dies by suicide, and almost no one is talking about it. Experts warn that the mental health crisis among first responders, including police, paramedics, emergency room nurses and doctors, and firefighters, has reached breaking point.

These are the people who rush to save others, but too often, they can’t save themselves.

“This is a national emergency hidden in plain sight,” said Dr Alicia Porter, board member of the South African Society of Psychiatrists (SASOP).

She said workers on the frontline of responding to crime, domestic violence, large-scale road accidents, medical emergencies and natural disasters are disproportionately susceptible to burnout, depression and suicide.

“The problem is that they may have preexisting mental health conditions, but the nature of the work is very unique because their very work environment is actually exposing them to repeated trauma. It’s also putting them in extremely stressful and high-risk situations.”

The figures are chilling: one police suicide every week - 300 in the past seven years and 54 in the 2024/25 reporting period.

“Suicide is a serious risk. So, in my mind, it’s exactly the same as uncontrolled diabetes or uncontrolled hypertension. We talk about those things, but when it comes to mental health, there’s just this silence and this expectation that there should be this superhero resurgence among our first responders, but they’re human,” said Porter.

She said mental health support should be normalised rather than offered only in moments of crisis, and that training and regular screening for PTSD, depression, anxiety and sleep disorders, particularly after critical incidents, are key to saving lives.