Informal conversations : Partners of first responders (overview)
I met with a partner of a first responder, who had been in the service for over 20 years. I explained a little about my research and initial experience in encountering some of the issues related to first responders. I asked questions about how their partners job affected their personal relationship, their home life, their mental health and what some of the solutions might be in easing their exposure to vicarious trauma (VT) also known as secondary trauma. Their response somewhat aligned with what was already considered such as: 'Empathy burn out' (in which there is a 'splitting' of empathy response) Shift patterns being out of synch with school runs and holidays Mental strain and the real risk of PTSD Limited debriefing support due to the workplace culture or lack of provision Seeing service workers as a 'resource' without consideration of 'human factors' - on the job real life trauma exposure being minimized in preference of service demands The avera...