Shifting Organizational Sentiment: Qualitative Insights from a Mental Ill-Health Prevention Program for New Zealand Firefighters
Date
Authors
Campbell, JL
Darby, J
Oswald, P
Mackay, L
Schofield, G
Supervisor
Item type
Journal Article
Degree name
Journal Title
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Volume Title
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Abstract
Background: Firefighters are regularly exposed to potentially psychologically traumatic events (PPTEs), significantly increasing their risk of mental ill-health. Organizational factors such as leadership, support, and workload also influence these outcomes. Purpose: This study evaluates the Whanaungatanga Program, a participatory initiative designed to address organizational factors affecting firefighter well-being, focusing on early changes in sentiment. Methods: We conducted a qualitative analysis of open-text responses from two surveys (embedded within broader mental health questionnaires) with firefighters and commanders, and semi-structured interviews with commanders. Thematic and sentiment analyses explored perceptions of organizational interventions and the emotional tone in responses across two time points. Main Findings: In the pilot region receiving interventions, organizational sentiment shifted substantially: positive sentiment increased from 13 % to 48 %, negative sentiment decreased over 20 % (from 66 % to 40 %), and themes such as improved leadership visibility emerged, reflecting rapid cultural progress. Conclusions: The results highlight the effectiveness of targeted, participatory interventions in fostering positive organizational change. Marked improvements in sentiment indicate that even in high-stress environments, well-designed interventions can lead to substantial benefits in employee sentiment and organizational culture.Description
Keywords
Emergency responders, mental health, prevention, qualitative, trauma exposure, 5203 Clinical and Health Psychology, 32 Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, 3202 Clinical Sciences, 52 Psychology, Clinical Research, Mental Health, 3 Good Health and Well Being, 1103 Clinical Sciences, Psychiatry, 3202 Clinical sciences, 5203 Clinical and health psychology
Source
Comprehensive Psychiatry, ISSN: 0010-440X (Print); 1532-8384 (Online), Elsevier BV, 142, 152615-. doi: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2025.152615
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© 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).