Mental Health Intervention and Treatment of First Responders and Emergency Workers

The stress that comes with being a first responder has been known to lead to depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and suicide. However, few clinicians are informed about these health concerns and how to adequately treat them in this population. Therefore, there is an urgent need for practitioners to understand the latest information regarding treatments that will be useful to this specific population. Mental Health Intervention and Treatment of First Responders and Emergency Workers is an essential reference source that focuses on the latest research for diagnosing and treating mental health issues experienced by emergency personnel and seeks to generate awareness and inform clinicians about the unique circumstances encountered by these professionals. While highlighting topics including anxiety disorders and stress management, this book is ideally designed for clinicians, therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, practitioners, medical professionals, EMTs, law enforcement, fire departments, military, academicians, researchers, policymakers, and students seeking current research on psychological therapy methods regarding first responders. Cover 1 Title Page 2 Copyright Page 3 Book Series 4 Editorial Advisory Board and List of Reviewers 6 Table of Contents 7 Detailed Table of Contents 10 Preface 17 Chapter 1: Assessing Needs 20 Chapter 2: Swimming Upstream 35 Chapter 3: Posttraumatic Stress and Alcohol Use Among First Responders 51 Chapter 4: Unique Job Roles and Mental Health Risk Factors Among Emergency Dispatchers 68 Chapter 5: The First, First Responder 82 Chapter 6: Occupational Risk Factors and the Mental Health of Women Firefighters 105 Chapter 7: Critical Incident Stress Management 122 Chapter 8: Application and Integration of Psychological First Aid in First Responder Organizations 148 Chapter 9: The HEROES Project 173 Chapter 10: Disaster Responder Self-Care, Self-Compassion, and Protective Factors 188 Chapter 11: Bridging the Gaps 209 Chapter 12: Evidence-Based Practices to Enhance First Responder Well-Being and Performance 224 Chapter 13: Trauma Management Therapy for First Responders 249 Chapter 14: Narrative Therapy to Address Trauma for Emergency Medical Services and Firefighters 262 Chapter 15: Organizational Prevention and Intervention Services 277 Chapter 16: “More Than Peer Support: Organizational and Relational Intervention Model” 292 Chapter 17: Changing Hearts and Minds 310 Compilation of References 321 About the Contributors 378 Index 390