全球智库信息集成服务系统

The evidence base for most workplace psychological health interventions is limited

• Several approaches are commonly used to promote resilience and psychological health in workplaces and may be relevant to DHS efforts: employee assistance programs, short-term counseling, self-care, peer support, critical incident stress management, and psychological, stress, and mental health first aid.
• There is not a robust pool of evidence for these interventions, and the research varies in terms of the types of effects studied and outcomes measured. Some approaches that have been evaluated are not directly relevant to DHS, so it can be difficult to generalize findings to DHS employees.
• None of the interventions evaluated met the criteria for high certainty of a net benefit, and few rose to the level of moderate certainty for populations similar to DHS employees.

DHS has a mix of psychological health programs, but there is variation in access, services, and potential effectiveness

• Some DHS programs had a low certainty of a net benefit, according to the evidence base. Research also indicates that one approach — debriefings conducted in the aftermath of traumatic incidents — carries a risk of harm.
• Each DHS component has an employee assistance program (moderate certainty of a net benefit). However, interviews with DHS officials indicated that these services are underutilized by the department's employees.
• All but one DHS component have some kind of peer-support program (low certainty of a net benefit). The nature of these programs and the training that peer supporters receive can differ significantly across components.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was created in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks from all or part of 22 existing federal departments and agencies to oversee and coordinate a national strategy to protect the country from terrorism and to prevent future attacks. The unique organizational structure of DHS and differences in the number and type of employees in each of its components have resulted in a support system that includes both DHS-wide programs and component-specific programs to promote resilience and prevent psychological health problems that can result from long-term stress and exposure to trauma. However, little is known about the nature and effectiveness of these programs. This report provides an overview of the evidence base for common approaches used in workplace psychological health programs and identifies the extent to which programs across DHS that address psychological health, peer support, and resilience align with evidence-based practices. To ensure employees' psychological well-being, DHS must respond to their specific psychological health needs and concerns, as well as measure the effectiveness of existing programs that address psychological health. The report outlines a path forward for DHS to determine whether its investments in these programs are achieving their desired outcomes for the department, its employees, and their families.

• Chapter One

  Background

• Chapter Two

  Overview of Work-Related Stressors and Psychological Health Risks Among DHS Employees

• Chapter Three

  Workplace Approaches to Increasing Resilience and Reducing Psychological Health Problems Among Employees

• Chapter Four

  DHS Programs to Address Psychological Health

• Chapter Five

  Summary and Recommendations

• Appendix A

  Psychological Health Programs, by Component, in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security