42% of Young First Responder Lifeguards Show PTSS — What That Means for Early Exposure

Key Takeaways

• 42% of surveyed young surf lifesavers met the threshold for post-traumatic stress symptoms.
• Stigma and lack of social support were the strongest predictors of symptom severity.
• Mental health knowledge alone did not significantly reduce PTSS risk.
• Younger responders need prevention-focused content; older responders need trauma-processing tools.
• Early exposure to trauma is occurring before most systems are designed to respond.

42% of young surf lifesavers aged 13 to 25 in a recent study met the threshold for post-traumatic stress symptoms. That number should change how this problem is framed.

These are not career paramedics or firefighters with decades on the job. Many are volunteers. Many are still in high school. They perform rescues, respond to drownings, and encounter critical incidents along the coast. For a significant portion of them, exposure to trauma starts early — before they ever enter EMS, fire, or law enforcement.

The assumption has been that mental health risk belongs to experienced providers. The data does not support that. Early exposure is already producing measurable impact in younger first responders, and most systems are not designed to address it.

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Why This Issue Matters

Young first responders are often treated as an afterthought in mental health planning. The focus tends to stay on seasoned personnel — those with years of accumulated exposure. Meanwhile, younger members are entering high-stress environments without infrastructure built for their stage of development.

This creates a mismatch. Exposure starts early. Support systems start later.

For organizations, that gap matters. It affects retention, performance, and long-term health. For families and communities, it shows up in ways that are harder to track — withdrawal, burnout, and providers leaving roles they were once committed to.

Addressing this problem requires acknowledging when it actually begins. The data suggests that point is earlier than most systems are built to handle.

What the Study Found

A 2025 study published in the Journal of Safety Research examined mental health among surf lifesavers in Australia aged 13 to 25. These individuals function as first responders, performing rescues and responding to life-threatening incidents in a volunteer-based system. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

The results were direct. Among respondents who completed the full screening, 42% met the threshold for clinically significant post-traumatic stress symptoms. Nearly half reported currently having a mental health condition, and more than half had sought help at some point.

The strongest relationships in the data were not tied to knowledge or training volume. They were tied to stigma and social support.

Higher stigma scores were strongly associated with increased PTSS severity. Lower social support was also associated with higher symptom levels. These are meaningful correlations, not minor effects.

Mental health literacy, by contrast, did not significantly correlate with PTSS outcomes. Knowing more about mental health did not appear to reduce symptom severity on its own. That finding challenges how many training programs are currently structured.

The study also identified differences by age group. Younger participants (13–17) favored prevention-focused content — understanding warning signs, maintaining relationships, basic self-care. Older participants (18–25) preferred tools for processing trauma they had already experienced. Preferences varied widely across delivery formats, but mobile-based tools were the most commonly selected.

Impact on First Responders

In practice, this pattern extends beyond surf lifesaving. The structure is familiar: younger personnel, early exposure, and systems that were not built with that timing in mind.

When stigma is present, providers are less likely to acknowledge what they are experiencing. When social support is limited, there is less buffer against that stress. Together, those conditions increase the likelihood that symptoms persist and worsen over time.

Education alone does not close that gap. Providers can understand the concepts and still have no framework for applying them in the moment. The difference between knowing and acting is where many systems fail.

For leaders and organizations, this shifts the focus. Mental health cannot be treated as a late-career issue. It has to be addressed as part of early entry into the field.

How Emergency Services Outreach Fits In

Emergency Services Outreach focuses on this problem from a mission perspective. The work is centered on awareness, education, and the development of long-term support structures for first responders and the people around them.

Education on topics like this is part of broader efforts developed through Code 3 Academy, which focuses on practical training and operational understanding. Awareness alone is not enough, but it is a starting point for changing how systems respond.

In New Mexico, Emergency Services Outreach is developing Ranchito de la Redención, a nature-based retreat environment intended to create space for rest, reflection, and long-term resilience. It represents one approach to addressing the gap between exposure and recovery — not as a complete solution, but as part of a broader effort to build something more sustainable.

References

1. Stewart, E., Fien, S., Peden, A. E., & Lawes, J. C. (2025). Mental health needs and wants of younger first responders: Identifying vulnerabilities and opportunities for developing a targeted mental health toolkit for surf lifesavers aged 13–25 years. Journal of Safety Research, 92, 437–447. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022437524002172

This article is for informational purposes only and does not provide clinical advice. For immediate support in the United States, call or text 988.