Impacts of ongoing trauma in First Responders

My research question is, “What are the impacts of ongoing trauma in first responders?” I chose this question because I am interested in the types of trauma that first responders experience. These people include firefighters, police officers, paramedics, and other professionals who are often the first to attend a scene. I am interested in the support networks that are available to them and wanted to understand what can happen when they do not talk about their experiences or seek help when they need it.

The research I used to create this project involved using a range of academic websites and sources. I looked into mental health, what can happen when someone does not talk about their experiences or properly debrief, what first responders can experience daily, what support networks are available to them, and what individuals and organisations can do to better support first responders.

Some of the things I learnt were that there are many confronting experiences that first responders can face as part of their jobs. They are exposed to situations that many people should never have to face or experience in their lifetime. I learnt that first responders have some of the most challenging jobs, as they are saving and protecting lives daily, yet they do not always receive enough recognition for what they do. I also learnt that there are support networks available for first responders, but there is still a need for more support and awareness surrounding their mental health. Another important thing I learnt was that first responders can experience significantly increased risks to their mental health, including suicide, as a result of the pressures and traumatic experiences associated with their work.

The feedback I received was that it was a really good piece of work, but that I could look further into the support networks available and investigate what organisations and workplaces can do to better support first responders through these experiences. I also received feedback to look more closely into what a literature review is and find strong academic sources to help me understand how they work, what their purpose is, and what published literature reviews look like. This was particularly useful because writing a literature review was a new skill for me, and I had to learn how to structure and develop one.

If I were to complete this project again, I would spend more time researching the support networks available to first responders and look further into how workplaces and organisations can provide ongoing support. I would also give myself more time to develop my literature review, as it was a completely new skill for me and I had to learn as I went. This experience showed me that starting a new type of academic writing takes time, research, and practice, and I would approach the process with more confidence and planning if I were to do it again.

The Big Picture learning goals that I demonstrated were all of them. For Communication, I used academic sources, wrote a literature review, and created a presentation to communicate my findings. For Social Reasoning, I looked into the background of mental health and some of the impacts of ongoing and accumulated trauma. For Empirical Reasoning, I experimented with a new skill by learning how to write a literature review and testing different ways to structure and present my research. For Quantitative Reasoning, I looked into statistics relating to suicide, mental health, and the rates of trauma experienced by first responders.