First Responders are trained to respond to natural disasters, medical emergencies, fires and crimes, yet they are less prepared to manage the ongoing negative psychological sequelae of their profession. This is like sending someone to war without a flak jacket. Psychological preparedness for the First Responder is an integral, yet commonly overlooked, part of training that focuses on key areas of emotional wellness and behavioral health.
The psychological effects can be cumulative and occur on a continuum ranging from PTSD to less severe anxiety, poor health, family problems, depression burnout, and unfortunately, suicide. While not everyone meets criteria for PTSD, the cumulative nature of the profession takes a toll.
Consider these statistics:
Thrive Program:
The THRIVE Program for First Responders can be adjusted to meet the needs of each individual agency, department, or hospital.
The psychological effects can be cumulative and occur on a continuum ranging from PTSD to less severe anxiety, poor health, family problems, depression burnout, and unfortunately, suicide. While not everyone meets criteria for PTSD, the cumulative nature of the profession takes a toll.
Consider these statistics:
- A first responder is twice as likely to die from a suicide than in the line of duty, or the life expectancy is 15 years less than the general population (Marks & Callahan, 2013).
- First responders have a higher rate of early death, accidental injuries and early retirement based on medical issues when compared to the general population (Gunderson, Grill, Callahan, and Marks, 2014)
Thrive Program:
- Thinking: Develop “good thinking” skills to address tactical errors in how we perceive stressful situations. Learning how to reframe our experiences helps reduce depression, anxiety, and chronic daily stressors.
- Health: Understand why how we eat, move, sleep, supplement and manage our stress is so important, especially as a first responder. Education and action steps to upgrade each of these areas will be provided.
- Releasing Physical Tension: Develop self-regulation skills to manage hyperarousal, tension, and learn how to “shift from shift.”
- Identifying symptoms of PTSD and Substance Use: Understand the early signs of a posttraumatic stress injury and potential substance use issues. Case studies and evidenced based treatments will be reviewed.
- Addressing Vulnerabilities: Understand how potential adverse childhood events (ACE’s) can impact one’s physical and mental well-being over the course of one’s life. Also, the symptoms of suicide will be discussed and what to do if one becomes suicidal.
- Engage Social Support: Identify common relationship issues in first responder relationships, characteristics of happy marriages, predictors of divorce, and the 7 principles that make marriages & long term relationships work.
The THRIVE Program for First Responders can be adjusted to meet the needs of each individual agency, department, or hospital.