Date of Conferral

8-6-2024

Date of Award

August 2024

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Jana Price-Sharps

Abstract

Research concerning first responders delves into understanding their job environment, their exposure to work hazards, and their reactions to traumatic events. However, few scholars have considered the impact of first responder work on their spouses/partners. Consequently, the purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to learn about the lived experiences of the spouses/partners of the first responders who responded within the first 12 hours to the mass shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada, during the Route 91 Harvest Festival, on October 1, 2017. Six participants (from law enforcement, firefighters, and emergency services personnel) who were current or former spouses/partners of first responders who responded within the first 12 hours of the mass shooting, as well as being a spouse/partner at the time of the shooting, were interviewed as part of this dissertation research study. The conceptual framework of Bowen’s family systems theory and the theory of vicarious trauma, as posed by theorists such as Figley, Ludick, and Molnar, provided the context for themes and insights in this qualitative study. The findings support existing research through seven themes, including initial shock, secondary trauma, and resilience. Implications for social change are pronounced. First responder agencies need to understand the family dynamic of the spousal relationship. When that relationship is considered, it can lead to positive social change by stabilizing the emotional and mental strength of the first responder, which can strengthen the spousal relationship. These changes can translate into additional positive social change by making officers more resilient, which may result in communities being safer.

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