Peer-reviewed Article Summary Paper; First Responder Resilience: A cross-sectional Network Analysis: An International Journal
In this article, researchers studied the experiences of first responders and how their occupations affect them through the stress they face. The overall purpose of this study was to observe how mental resilience can mitigate mental health comorbidities. It is without a doubt that first responders face traumatic events throughout their careers. Over 80% of law enforcement officers, firefighters, and emergency dispatchers experience traumatic experiences while on duty (Klimley et al., 2018). Because of this, first responders are more likely to have higher rates of mental health symptomatology compared to the general population (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2018). Previous results from Ponder, Carbajal, et al., 2023, found that 22% of law enforcement officers screened positive for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), 35% for alcohol and drug issues, and 14% for suicidality. Additionally, when studying firefighters and emergency medical technicians, approximately 59% tested positively for PTSD, 59% had alcohol or substance issues, and 30% were considered at higher risk for suicide. The author then explains other studies, showing the overlap between resilience and post-traumatic growth (PTG) - it was found that they are both processes of how the brain adapts to the situation that occurred (Finstad et al., 2021). It was also found that the mentality towards the situation seemed to be extremely important; in situations where a person had a traumatic experience, their reactions could be constructive or self-deceptive. It was found that constructive thinking and reflecting on their personal belief systems helped establish resilience, which in turn led to post-traumatic growth. In comparison, those who used more self-deceptive techniques were more likely to experience issues such as denial, avoidance, wishful thinking, self-consolidation, or palliation, which did not promote PTG. This further pushed the researchers' desire to understand the resilience of first responders.
The researchers performed the study by first gathering participants. There were 370 participants from various ethnicities and backgrounds. It's important to note that all participants had sought psychological treatment before through a nonprofit organization. Participants were then given an exam called The Response to Stressful Experiences Scale - a 22-question test that assesses how people respond to stressful events in their lives. After considering that data, the researchers wanted to see how different aspects of resilience are connected, which they did using a statistical program called R. They constructed a network to view how different aspects of resilience are related, then identified which aspects were most important by calculating centrality within the network. The researchers used a Bayesian approach - a statistical method that uses prior probability to continuously update new information added to the data - to understand if there were types of resilience that lead to others.
The results uncovered insights into the resilience process as a whole for first responders seeking professional help. The partial correlation network showed strong connections between certain resilience factors such as faith in a higher power or prayer and meditation - these practices also indicated that relying on them yielded a better probability to bounce back quicker from traumatic events, highlighting their personal belief systems in the resilience process. The centrality analysis showed how finding strength in meaning, purpose, and overall life missions were key factors in promoting post-traumatic growth. The predictability analysis allowed the team of researchers to explain the surrounding factors of each resilience option. Overall, the findings in this study showed how they were able to break down the resilience process. This was important to the researchers because it enabled them to identify avenues for intervention and support when first responders may need it.
Works Cited
Ponder, Warren N., et al. "First Responder Resilience: A Cross-Sectional Network Analysis." Traumatology: An International Journal, 2024. ProQuest, https://casper.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/first-responder-resilience-cross-sectional/docview/3031770891/se-2, doi:https://doi.org/10.1037/trm0000510.
In this psychology course (Psychology 1000/General Psychology), I was able to recognize and learn about certain patterns that dictate our everyday lives. Through this, I recognized my own patterns or habits that fit clinical descriptions. Through this project, I learned how pivotal addressing first responders associated PTSD and , mental health affect their day to day lives. This is especially important to me because I am going into the medical field, where stress comes with the job. Learning how to prioritize my emotional health will inturn benefit my patients and my own personal life throughout my professional career.