PSYCHOLOGICAL RESPONSES OF RESCUE WORKERS: Fire Fighters and Trauma

Carol S. Fullerton*, James E. McCarroll, Robert J. Ursano, Kathleen M. Wright

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

184 Scopus citations

Abstract

The psychological responses of two groups of fire fighters were examined following the performance of rescue work. Four types of responses were reported: identification with the victims, feelings of helplessness and guilt, fear of the unknown, and physiological reactions. Stress was found to be mediated by availability of social support, type of leadership, level of training, and use of rituals. Implications of these findings for preventive intervention measures are discussed. 1992 American Orthopsychiatric Association

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)371-378
Number of pages8
JournalAmerican Journal of Orthopsychiatry
Volume62
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 1992
Externally publishedYes

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