Ten Years and Counting: Examining the Experience of 9/11 First Responder Spouses
Melissa Melkumov, M.S.
Dissertation Defense
Abstract:
The purpose of this research study was to enhance understanding of the experience of 9/11 first responder spouses and examine how their lives were impacted by the tragedies over ten years ago. Extensive research focused on how rescue and recovery work at Ground Zero had serious short and long-term physical and mental health consequences for these responders, and left many of them unable to work years later. While these devastating individual consequences for first responders had been well documented, there was a dearth of research focusing on the impact of their work on their spouses. In order to accommodate these individual changes, marital relationships and family dynamics must undoubtedly adapt. Thus, this qualitative study aimed to shed light on this largely unexamined process. Female spouses of 9/11 first responders were asked to examine their experiences related to 9/11 and reflect on the ways in which they and their families were impacted by their husband’s rescue and recovery efforts. Individual interviews were conducted until emerging themes became repetitive, allowing for a theoretical narrative to be created. Data analysis revealed that women experienced 9/11 as a traumatic event, with life altering and long-lasting consequences for themselves and their families. Women noted significant changes in their spouses and their marital relationship in the wake of 9/11, which caused many of them to change their normal ways of relating to their husband. Results indicated that the first responder system has strong cultural norms and is dominated by traditional gender roles and norms. Treatment recommendations and suggestions for further studies were generated from these findings.