Physiological and psychological components of paramedic wellbeing

Abstract

Literature throughout the years has identified that wellbeing includes a variety of concepts that primarily have social, physical, and mental components. Research still needs to identify how the key aspects of these themes link together to create a holistic wellbeing approach, especially in frontline emergency healthcare, like paramedics. Linking together physiological indicators and psychological mediators is currently being investigated through a feasibility study at Anglia Ruskin University. We describe these components as an individual's state in relation to their heart rate variability and cortisol levels (physiological), and individual, social, and organisational mediators (psychological). We present a narrative review of selected literature to introduce and describe these components to the paramedic profession. This review is not exhaustive or representative of all literature on the topic and thus our description should be interpreted as an introduction to concepts of paramedic wellbeing that has not previously been combined or discussed in such a manner.