First Responder Coping and its Impact on Resilience, PTSD Symptomology, and Hypervigilance

<p>The present study investigated coping strategies utilized by first responders and how those strategies relate to resilience, PTSD symptomology, and hypervigilance. The purpose of this study is to help provide more detailed information as to how first responders’ coping impacts their overall functioning. First responders (N = 181), including law enforcement officers, firefighters, paramedics, and emergency medical technicians, completed online surveys measuring whether engaged or disengaged coping strategies were used to manage stressful situations. Self-perceived resilience, PTSD symptoms, and hypervigilance were also measured. A one-way between-groups multivariate analysis of variance was performed to test the relationships between engaged versus disengaged coping strategies and resilience, PTSD symptomology, and hypervigilance. Results of the study showed statistically significant differences between engaged and disengaged coping strategies on the dependent variables of self-perceived resilience, PTSD symptomology, and hypervigilance, F (3, 177) = 43.43, p < .001; partial eta squared = .42. When the results for the dependent variables were considered separately, self-perceived resilience, F (1, 179) = 26.64, p = .0000006, partial eta squared = .13, PTSD symptomology, F (1, 179) = 125.86, p < .001, partial eta squared = .41, and hypervigilance, F (1, 179) = 20.95, p = .000009, partial eta squared = .11, all reached statistical significance. First responders who utilized engaged coping strategies had significantly higher rates of self-perceived resilience (M = 31.65, SD = 4.94) than first responders who utilized disengaged coping strategies (M = 27.12, SD = 6.88). First responders who utilized disengaged coping strategies reported significantly higher rates of symptoms of PTSD (M = 45.45, SD = 17.40) compared to first responders who utilized engaged coping strategies (M = 19.40, SD = 13.80). They also reported higher rates of hypervigilance (M = 11.17, SD = 4.86) compared to ii those who utilized engaged coping strategies (M = 7.87, SD = 4.73). The type of coping strategies utilized by first responders relate to their self-perceived resilience, presence of PTSD symptoms, and symptoms of hypervigilance that are experienced. Future work is warranted to assess any mediating variables that may be influencing these relationships.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Psy.D. Doctor of Clinical Psychology

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation - Public Access

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Clinical Psychology

Year dc:date.available

2022

Author dc:creator

• Bullock, Bianca

Contributors dc:contributor

• Elizabeth Lane, Ph.D.
• Christina Brown, Psy.D.

• First responder
• resilience
• PTSD
• coping strategies
• hypervigilance
• trauma
• Clinical Psychology
• Other Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digitalcommons.nl.edu/diss/649

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.nl.edu:diss-1697