Date of Conferral

12-22-2025

Date of Award

December 2025

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Wayne Wallace

Abstract

First responders' mental health resiliency and distress tolerance following crises and adverse, sporadic, and consistent exposure to critical incidents, such as line-of-duty death, mass casualty incidents, and calls involving children, continues to be a public health challenge in the United States. In this phenomenological study, the role of critical incidents in the overall mental and physical health resiliency of first responders was explored. Resilience theory served as the theoretical perspective for this study. The central research question for this study was to investigate the lived experiences of first responders who have been exposed to critical incidents in the line of duty. A secondary question explored the processes that enhanced resilience factors before, during, and after experiencing a critical incident, resulting in posttraumatic growth. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and verified verbatim from eight first responders, specifically emergency responders, including emergency medical services personnel and firefighters. The data were analyzed using narrative analysis to identify themes in the experiences of first responders. Findings of this study support and inform strategies for promoting positive social change by reducing stigma, humanizing responders, and implementing preventive processes surrounding responses to cultural diversity and mental health. Themes and strategies identified improve the lives of first responders, their families, organizations, and the surrounding communities. Furthermore, this study informs intervention effectiveness strategies and treatment approaches for this population, which has been exposed to adversity, identifying key factors and processes that promote the safety and security of their communities.

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