'There is stigma, but there is help:' Death of CBSA officer shines light on mental health in profession

WARNING: This story contains mentions of suicide. 

Details remain scarce surrounding the death of a Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officer at the Ambassador Bridge on Saturday — but mental health experts say the job comes with unique mental health challenges that can be addressed through education. 

The border authority and union said an employee died by suicide while on the job on the Windsor, Ont., side of the border. 

The incident closed the international border crossing for several hours.

The Customs and Immigration Union said in a statement that the death brings to light challenges public safety personnel may be confronted with.

"They remind us of the need for a comprehensive mental health support structure and of the importance of taking down barriers to access these services, both in professional and private settings," the statement said.

"These tragedies also serve as a reminder of the value of supporting each other in the face of hardship."

CBSA spokesperson Karine Martel says as employees grieve, they have met with the team and encouraged them to seek support from their employee assistance program during this "extremely difficult time."

Simon Hatcher is a professor of psychiatry at the University of Ottawa. 

He said first responders experience more trauma than the average person. Some of that is mitigated by a sense of camaraderie, working in teams and having pride in their job and skills, but the "psychology of suicide is all about feeling trapped, feeling hopeless and humiliated."

Hatcher said an important piece is for organizations to "walk the talk" on mental health, and education is an important piece. It can also be baked into leadership, like asking team leaders up for promotions what they've done to manage the mental health of their reports. 

"There is stigma, but there is also help," he said. "There is effective health help out there and …most people in fact who feel suicidal don't die by suicide and do improve and don't feel suicidal with the passage of time. But the difficult bit is getting from stigma to help."

A University of Windsor psychologist says jobs including border patrol and law enforcement can have their own unique pressures.

"We know that in cultures where there is a high value placed on being resilient, being autonomous and being capable of facing hardship, there is great hesitation to express difficulties and reach out for help," Josee Jarry told CBC News.