Shields Down: Addressing Mental Health in the Security Industry

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, on this episode, we take a deep and empathetic dive into the often-overlooked aspect of mental health within the security industry. Dr. Marisa Randazzo, Ph.D., sits down with Arian Avila from Capital One and Bryan Parent from LinkedIn, two distinguished figures who bring a wealth of experience, insight, and compassion to the table. Throughout the episode, they will share their personal journeys, discuss the evolving challenges faced by security professionals, and explore the psychological impacts of working in such a critical yet stressful sector.

Whether you’re a security professional, a leader in the industry, or simply an individual passionate about mental health advocacy, this episode promises to enlighten, educate, and inspire. We’re breaking the silence on mental health in the security industry, advocating for change, and showing how resilience, understanding, and support can make all the difference. Don’t miss this powerful conversation—tune in to gain perspective and learn how we can collectively support the mental well-being of those who safeguard our communities.

Tune in to hear as they share:

• How the landscape of the security industry has shifted in recent years and the new pressures this has introduced.
• Strategies for increasing awareness about the mental health challenges within the industry and how to better support our front-line defenders by proactively addressing post-incident mental health challenges.
• Identifying the early signs of incident-related trauma and the best practices in response as well as concrete steps leaders can take to nurture a supportive environment for those dealing with trauma.

Helpful Resources:

• Graphic: Trauma and Meaning in our Online Lives, Dr. Alexa Koenig and Andrea Lampos: A look at traumatic content in journalism, human rights violation researchers, and content moderation – very applicable to security and intelligence as well.
• Behave, Dr. Robert Sapolsky: A review of the science of human behavior
• What My Bones Know, Stephanie Foo: A biographical review of repeated trauma and the research into the informal diagnosis of Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and the author’s journey of reclaiming agency after her trauma.
• RatedR, Lili Siri Spira, Rachel Cornejo, Pearlé Nwaezeigwe: Applying wellbeing, self-care, and resiliency in a modern day of social media.
• Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma: Educates journalists on trauma, resilience, how to provide leadership in traumatic spaces, and self-care.