About Before Operational Stress (BOS)

Our national awareness regarding the impact of operational stress on public safety personnel in Canada has grown substantially in the last several years. Influenced by the experiences of soldiers returning from Afghanistan in the late 2000s, we have come to understand the far-reaching and long-standing negative effects operational stress can have. Gathering of epidemiological data of the public service personnel experience in Canada continues. A recent study of Canadian public safety personnel determined that almost 45 per cent of those surveyed reported symptoms consistent with an operational stress injury.

Operational stress injuries alter the personalities of public safety employees. They render employees vulnerable to persistent anxiety, anger, and irritability. Nightmares and intrusive reactions develop, which make it increasingly difficult for public service employees to leave their houses, or to feel a sense of safety anywhere within their environments. This impacts relationships. When the effects of operational stress begin, social isolation and emotional disengagement become the norm. Spouses and children suffer as a result. If the effects of operational stress continue, functional impairment becomes commonplace, and a common effect is that public safety personnel are rendered unable to work. That does not have to be the only story.

A recent study… determined that almost 45% of those surveyed reported symptoms consistent with an operational stress injury.

Our evidence tells us there are things we can do to mitigate the impact of operational stress so that public safety personnel can do their jobs, and be exposed to operational stress without it resulting in tragic consequences.

Will public safety employees be exposed to operational stress? The answer is ‘yes.’ Will they need to take precautions and do some work to address operational stress when it occurs? The answer is also ‘yes.’ But the lives of public safety employees are not destined to be ruined by the effects of operational stress.

BOS empowers public safety employees to be in charge of their mental health. We know that there is information these employees need to protect themselves from the effects of  operational stress. We know there are experiences these employees need to better protect themselves from operational stress. And we know they need practice and support to incorporate this knowledge and these experiences into their operational roles. BOS delivers on these three objectives.

Wayfound values our relationships with academic research partners to ensure that the interventions we are providing are effective and efficient.  We have been working with a team of independent researchers from the University of Regina since 2018, who have conducted an independent evaluation of the effectiveness of the Wounded Warriors Canada BOS program since that time.

We are thrilled to announce that preliminary results of the BOS research project are in.  The results of a longitudinal, mixed methods study have provided evidence of statistically significant reductions in symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and depression, as well as increases in reported social support and quality of life.  There is also evidence that the BOS program significantly reduced reports of stigma faced by participants relative to their mental health challenges.  The results support BOS as an intervention and places BOS as the only program of its kind in Canada to demonstrate positive empirically-supported results. We look forward to sharing the published results as soon as the peer-review process is completed.

Wayfound, in partnership with Wounded Warriors Canada, will continue to research the BOS program and to refine the intervention based on ongoing research results so that we can consistently maximize our effectiveness in supporting the mental health of public safety personnel.