Breaking down barriers to help-seeking: preparing first responders’ families for psychological first aid

O’Toole, Michelle; Mulhall, Claire; Eppich, Walter

doi:10.1080/20008198.2022.2065430

Cited by 10 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…An important addition to this is that family of emergency responders could be better prepared on what to do after such a disaster. For example, to break down instances of the “John Wayne syndrome,” some authors have suggested that family and close friends of emergency responders can be taught psychological first aid ( 43 ). The main goal is then not to make friends and family the “therapist” of the emergency responders but to simply break down certain barriers in social support and to actually increase their social support ( 43 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, to break down instances of the “John Wayne syndrome,” some authors have suggested that family and close friends of emergency responders can be taught psychological first aid ( 43 ). The main goal is then not to make friends and family the “therapist” of the emergency responders but to simply break down certain barriers in social support and to actually increase their social support ( 43 ). Furthermore, it is, in general, quite important to allow early interventions.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A day in the life: psychological impact on emergency responders during the 22 March 2016 terrorist attacks

Muysewinkel,

Vesentini,

Van Deynse

et al. 2024

Front. Psychiatry

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IntroductionTerrorist attacks can cause severe long-term mental health issues that need treatment. However, in the case of emergency responders, research is often vague on the type of stressors that emergency responders encounter. For example, in addition to the threat that they work under, studies have shown that ill-preparation adds to the stress experienced by emergency responders. However, few studies have looked into the experience of emergency responders. In this study, we looked at the experience of emergency responders during the 22 March 2016 terrorist attacks in Belgium.MethodsWe used a qualitative design, in which we interviewed different types of emergency responders. Police officers, nurses, soldiers, firefighters, and Red Cross volunteers were included. Interviews were coded by two researchers and analyzed using a thematic approach.ResultsFour large themes were developed: constant threat and chaos, frustrations with lack of preparedness and training, ethical decisions, and debriefings. In addition, although emergency responders encountered constant threat, they often felt that they were ill-prepared for such attacks. One specific example was their lack of training in tourniquet usage. Furthermore, in a disaster setting, the emergency responders had to make life-and-death decisions for which they were not always prepared. Finally, debriefings were conducted in the aftermath of the attacks. Whereas most were perceived as positive, the debriefings among police officers were viewed as insufficient.ConclusionsEmergency responding to terrorist attacks has many different dimensions of events that can cause stress. Our study revealed that preparation is key, not only in terms of material but also in terms of ethics and debriefings.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A day in the life: psychological impact on emergency responders during the 22 March 2016 terrorist attacks

Muysewinkel,

Vesentini,

Van Deynse

et al. 2024

Front. Psychiatry

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“…We found an extreme lack of attention toward trusted others, despite documentation of secondary trauma spillover [ 12 , 28 ] and an urgent need for support specifically targeted toward their community [ 21 ]. Cox et al [ 25 ] and Sharp et al [ 58 ] summarized the outcomes of trusted others’ experiences and the impact on their health and wellbeing.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Early social support strengthens this protective impact, reducing the need for further professional psychological interventions [ 17 ]. In emergency services, the most prevalent form of early intervention, known as ‘psychological first aid,’ is traditionally provided by colleagues, with more recent research suggesting family members and close friends as a practical alternative [ 21 ]. Preferences for early intervention support differ, with both professional rank and duration of service influencing the type of desired support [ 22 , 23 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Turning to ‘Trusted Others’: A Narrative Review of Providing Social Support to First Responders

Tjin¹,

Traynor²,

Doyle³

et al. 2022

IJERPH

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First responders, such as paramedics and firefighters, encounter duty-related traumatic exposures, which can lead to post-traumatic stress (PTS). Although social support protects against PTS, we know little about how first responders’ families, spouses/partners, friends, and care-partners (i.e., ‘trusted others’) provide social support. This narrative review explores support behaviors, coping strategies, and resources trusted others use to support first responders. A structured literature search yielded 24 articles. We used House’s (1981) conceptual framework to inform our analysis. We identified three main themes: providing support, finding support, and support needs. Additionally, we describe trusted others’ self-reported preparedness, coping strategies, and barriers to providing social support. We found that trusted others provided different types of support: (a) emotional (fostering a safe space, giving autonomy over recovery, facilitating coping mechanisms, prioritizing first responders’ emotional needs); (b) instrumental (prioritizing first responders’ practical needs, handling household tasks, supporting recovery); (c) appraisal (active monitoring, verbal reassurance, positive reframing), and (d) informational (seeking informal learning). In their role, trusted others sought formal (organizational) and informal (peer and personal) support and resources, alongside intrapersonal and interpersonal coping strategies. Identified barriers include inadequate communication skills, maladaptive coping, and disempowering beliefs. Thus, we offer practical, treatment, and social support recommendations.

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“…Barriers for the working population in help-seeking behaviour include concerns regarding potential career impact, stigma and confidentiality [ 7 ]. Most people who die by suicide do not have formal contact with mental health services [ 8 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Workplace interventions to prevent suicide: A scoping review

Hallett,

Rees,

Hannah

et al. 2024

PLoS ONE

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Objectives To map organisational interventions for workplace suicide prevention, identifying the effects, mechanisms, moderators, implementation and economic costs, and how interventions are evaluated. Background Suicide is a devastating event that can have a profound and lasting impact on the individuals and families affected, with the highest rates found among adults of work age. Employers have a legal and ethical responsibility to provide a safe working environment for their employees, which includes addressing the issue of suicide and promoting mental health and well-being. Methods A realist perspective was taken, to identify within organisational suicide prevention interventions, what works, for whom and in what circumstances. Published and unpublished studies in six databases were searched. To extract and map data on the interventions the Effect, Mechanism, Moderator, Implementation, Economic (EMMIE) framework was used. Mechanisms were deductively analysed against Bronfenbrenner’s socio-ecological model. Results From 3187 records screened, 46 papers describing 36 interventions within the military, healthcare, the construction industry, emergency services, office workers, veterinary surgeons, the energy sector and higher education. Most mechanisms were aimed at the individual’s immediate environment, with the most common being education or training on recognising signs of stress, suicidality or mental illness in oneself. Studies examined the effectiveness of interventions in terms of suicide rates, suicidality or symptoms of mental illness, and changes in perceptions, attitudes or beliefs, with most reporting positive results. Few studies reported economic costs but those that did suggested that the interventions are cost-effective. Conclusions It seems likely that organisational suicide prevention programmes can have a positive impact on attitudes and beliefs towards suicide as well reducing the risk of suicide. Education, to support individuals to recognise the signs and symptoms of stress, mental ill health and suicidality in both themselves and others, is likely to be an effective starting point for successful interventions.

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Breaking down barriers to help-seeking: preparing first responders’ families for psychological first aid

Cited by 10 publications

References 47 publications

A day in the life: psychological impact on emergency responders during the 22 March 2016 terrorist attacks

A day in the life: psychological impact on emergency responders during the 22 March 2016 terrorist attacks

Turning to ‘Trusted Others’: A Narrative Review of Providing Social Support to First Responders

Workplace interventions to prevent suicide: A scoping review

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