{"id":213551,"date":"2025-04-08T14:16:20","date_gmt":"2025-04-09T00:16:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=213551"},"modified":"2025-04-08T14:16:20","modified_gmt":"2025-04-09T00:16:20","slug":"chris-frueh-operator-syndrome","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2025\/04\/08\/chris-frueh-operator-syndrome\/","title":{"rendered":"UH<\/abbr> Hilo prof shines light on hidden toll of first responder life"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
\"person
Chris Frueh discusses his research with police officers, firefighters, and chaplains in Hilo. (Photo credit: Friends of First Responders Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Island)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What do elite soldiers and firefighters have in common? According to a University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> at Hilo psychology Professor Chris Frueh—more than you\u2019d think.<\/p>\n

After decades of studying the health of military veterans, Frueh has turned his attention to first responders. His findings show that firefighters, paramedics and police officers face a heavy, often invisible, burden—one he calls “Firefighter Syndrome.”<\/p>\n

Frueh and his research team say firefighting involves regular exposure to chronic stress, lethal risks and potential for a wide range of injuries, including traumatic brain injuries and toxic exposures.<\/p>\n

Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Island first responders<\/h2>\n

\"Operator<\/p>\n

He shared his message with Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Island\u2019s first responders during a workshop in Hilo and will be giving another in Kona.<\/p>\n

His research—highlighted in his recent book, Operator Syndrome<\/em><\/a>—outlines how years of trauma can lead to a complex set of injuries: sleep disorders, PTSD<\/abbr>, hormonal imbalances, pain, depression and more. Originally focused on military special operators, Frueh\u2019s work has revealed striking similarities in the health challenges faced by first responders.<\/p>\n

“Dr. Frueh\u2019s presentation helped them understand the many physiological impacts that, in turn, affect their mental health, as well as the current treatments that are available,” said Renee Godoy, chaplain for both Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Island police and fire departments and leader of the nonprofit Friends of First Responders Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Island.<\/p>\n

The workshops provide tools to help first responders recognize warning signs and seek care. Frueh and his team created a practical guide that includes suicide risk assessment, peer support strategies, and tips on finding the right health providers.<\/p>\n

Word is spreading<\/h2>\n
\"group
Frueh\u2019s presentation was part of the Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Police Department\u2019s annual refresher training. (Photo credit: Friends of First Responders Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Island)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

His message is catching on beyond Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>. Frueh is speaking with law enforcement and fire departments across the country. A start up company led by current and former military special operators has also developed a business to provide coaching services to first responders using the Operator Syndrome<\/em> framework.<\/p>\n

“It\u2019s a really great concept, retired [Special Operation Forces] operators continuing service by coaching and mentoring police and firefighters. They are doing more to spread the Operator Syndrome<\/em> framework and physiological perspective nationally, than I could ever do by myself,” Frueh said.<\/p>\n

For more go to UH<\/abbr> Hilo Stories<\/em>.<\/a><\/p>\n

—By Susan Enright<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Psychology Professor Chris Frueh shared his research about firefighting risks linked to chronic stress and injuries with Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Island\u2019s first responders.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[637,158,14,907],"class_list":["post-213551","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-research","tag-psychology","tag-publication","tag-uh-hilo","tag-uh-hilo-stories","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t