Peer-led emotion regulation training for new firefighters
Official title: Peer Delivered, Emotion Regulation-Focused Mental Health Prevention Training for Fire Fighter Trainees
Funded at Baylor Research Institute · NIH-11125734 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project offers peer-delivered training to help new firefighter trainees build emotion-regulation skills to reduce risk for PTSD, alcohol problems, depression, and related harms.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Baylor Research Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Dallas, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $531,118 |
| NIH project number | 5R01OH012577-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11125734 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are newly recruited firefighter trainees (paid or volunteer) at participating academies who are willing to take part in peer-led prevention training.
✕Less likely to help
This program is not aimed at the general public and likely will not replace individualized treatment for people who already have severe or active psychiatric disorders.
What this research studies
You would receive brief, peer-delivered sessions during firefighter training that teach practical emotion-regulation skills and coping strategies. Trainers are experienced peers who introduce skills during onboarding to increase acceptability and fit with fire service culture. Participants will be followed over time with questionnaires and brief check-ins to track mental health, alcohol use, and resilience outcomes. The program targets common mechanisms across multiple conditions to prevent problems before they start.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the training could lower rates of PTSD, problematic alcohol use, depression, and suicide risk by strengthening resilience early in firefighters' careers.
How similar studies have gone: Peer support and emotion-regulation approaches have shown promise in other high-risk groups, but applying a transdiagnostic, peer-delivered prevention program to firefighter trainees is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Baylor Research Institute
Dallas, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gulliver, Suzy B — Baylor Research Institute
- Study coordinator: Gulliver, Suzy B
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.