Date of Conferral

2021

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Brandy Benson

Abstract

AbstractPolice officers were some of the first responders to the World Trade Center bombings on September 11, 2001. Longitudinal studies have revealed that some New York City (NYC) police officers were better able to cope than others, yet the long-term effects of officers’ coping strategies are unknown. The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to explore the coping strategies used by NYC police officers during 9/11 and how these police officers continue to cope with their experiences today. Lazarus and Folkman’s transactional model of stress and coping provided the foundation for this study. The participants included nine NYC police officers who worked on 9/11 or one shift after. Semi-structured, open-ended, in-depth interview questions were used to obtain detail-rich descriptions from the participants. A purposeful sample was obtained using snowball sampling to recruit participants. Participants reported using problem- and emotion-focused coping, but problem-focused coping more frequently. During and after 9/11, prior knowledge, work experience, personal beliefs, values, and motivation were used to appraise the level of risk involved and what could be done. The most frequent reported theme was attention placed on work related tasks and changing the environment; this was followed by talking to co-workers because this helped normalize their experience. Gaining clarity regarding how NYC police officers were able to cope while fearing for their own lives may further clinicians’ understanding of how coping strategies can lead to adaptive or maladaptive functioning and lead to positive social change.

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