EFFORT-REWARD IMBALANCE AND COMMON MENTAL DISORDERS AMONG FIREFIGHTERS
Description
This study investigates the Effort-Reward Imbalance (ERI) and Common Mental Disorders (CMD) of 372 active firefighters in Brazil. The prevalence of CMD was 9.7% in the overall sample and reached 10.7% in the high-risk group (ERI ratio > 1). Log-binomial regression showed that the ERI model increased the explanatory power for mental distress to 12.1%. High effort was associated with an increased risk of CMD (PR = 2.21), while Overcommitment (OC) had the greatest impact on prevalence (PR = 2.41). Effort was also the main predictor of symptom intensity (β = 0.443; p < 0.001). These findings indicate that ERI constitutes a critical marker of psychosocial risk for firefighters. The population attributable fraction (PAF) for overcommitment was 51.1%, indicating that more than half of CMD cases were attributable to this dimension. Thus, occupational demands and perceived recognition are central determinants of mental health in this occupational group. The study reinforces the need for mental health surveillance and promotion strategies that consider the specificities of the military operational environment of firefighters.
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The study was conducted in the units of the Interior Fire Department-1 (CBI-1), responsibility for the Campinas macro-region of the State of São Paulo, Brazil. The total personnel in the region comprises approximately 1,300 active firefighters, divided into the administrative sector (~450 firefighters) and the operational sector (~950 firefighters). The research period was between September 2025 and January 2026. Access to participants was granted only with the authorization of the CBI-1. Data was collected via Google Forms®, sent by the CBI-1 HR department, which then forwarded it to the personnel, receiving the responses in an anonymized form.
Institutions
- Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP)São Paulo, Campinas