Enhancing firefighters' mental health with exercise: Evaluating the effects of a 7-week long physical activity intervention on burnout and other well-being related constructs

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a 7-week long complex intervention (high-intensity interval training which focused on several fitness parameters and made use of firefighting equipment and materials) among French firefighters with moderate or elevated levels of burnout. Forty voluntary participants were randomly allocated to one of two groups: a control group (n = 20) or a physical activity group (n = 20). Participants in the physical activity group exercised twice a week for 60 min over a period of 7 weeks at their fire station. Four psychological assessment sessions were conducted: at T0 (just before the program), T1 (in the middle of the program), T2 (just after the end of the program), and T3 (1 month after the end of the program). Our primary focus was on the Schaufeli's Burnout Assessment Tool questionnaire (BAT). We also examined the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE), the Profile of Mood States (POMS), and the Ways of Coping Checklist (WCC), as secondary outcomes. Results revealed that participants in the physical activity group reported significantly reduced burnout scores immediately following the training program (p < 0.001). These benefits were still present 1 month after the end of intervention. No significant change was observed in the control group. The physical activity program had no significant effect on any of the secondary outcomes. Further research evaluating this training program in larger samples of firefighters could help confirm these findings.