Researchers supporting Fire and Rescue Services to spot mental ill health in the community

A team of researchers at Keele University, who have previously shown that Fire and Rescue Services could play a role in supporting mental healthcare in older people, have embarked on a new study funded by the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR) to expand their work to more areas across the country. 

Previous research by the group, carried out in collaboration with Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service, has shown how Home Fire Safety Visits carried out by staff could be a useful tool in promoting mental health among older people, and spotting signs of mental ill-health earlier. 

Mental health problems such as anxiety and depression are often under-diagnosed and under-treated in older adults (aged 60 years and over). This group are less likely to access mental health services due to perceived stigma and not wanting to be seen to be a burden on others.  

Older adults may put off speaking to healthcare professionals about their mood or have other health conditions that either they or their healthcare provider gives priority to. This can make it difficult for healthcare professionals to identify conditions like anxiety and depression early. Home Fire Safety Visits provide a unique opportunity for Fire and Rescue Service staff to support this early detection. 

The researchers previously worked with Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service to demonstrate that these visits could be a useful opportunity for early detection of mental health problems in older people, and staff were supportive of the idea if they had sufficient training and support. 

Now the research team are expanding on this work by developing and testing the scheme with Fire and Rescue Services in Shropshire and Derbyshire, to see whether this idea could work in the real world. 

Not only will the research see this mental health support being delivered during these visits, but the researchers will also evaluate the intervention by interviewing both Fire and Rescue Service Staff delivering the support, and the people they are supporting. 

If it does prove to be effective, these interventions could be rolled out more widely, with the aim of helping more older people achieve better mental health. 

Dr Tom Kingstone, Senior Lecturer in Mental Health and Wellbeing at Keele, is leading the research and said: “I am looking forward to leading this NIHR-funded research study and continuing our collaboration with the Fire and Rescue Service. Our previous study highlighted how home fire safety visits could be adapted to help prevent the onset or worsening of mental health problems in older adults.  

“Over the next 18 months, we will work with community members and academic partners to co-design new intervention resources and evaluate these in Shropshire and Derbyshire. Findings could have implications at a national level.” 

Ged Devereux, Strategic Community Health Lead at the National Fire Chiefs Council, added: “As the representative body for UK Fire and Rescue Services, the National Fire Chiefs Council are fully supportive of this research to further support Fire and Rescue Services in providing person-centred support to some of our most vulnerable individuals. This research will support people in their own homes whilst also supporting our staff to interact with them effectively, and understand the individual’s circumstances before and after an incident to ensure that the right support is provided.  

“We believe that Fire and Rescue Service staff will be motivated to improve awareness about mental health conditions and further optimise home fire safety visits to signpost people to appropriate support. We therefore welcome the opportunity to work with the research team and our Fire and Rescue Services to keep people safe and to learn from this valuable research.”