Award Date
12-1-2024
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Psychiatry and Behavioral Health
First Committee Member
Sara Jordan
Second Committee Member
Brandon Eddy
Third Committee Member
Vaida Kazlauskaite
Fourth Committee Member
Margaret Alexis Kennedy
Number of Pages
100
Abstract
First responder jobs pose unique difficulties due to the sheer number of traumatic events that they witness and personally experience. Research has demonstrated some effects of stress and trauma on family relationships, but the literature lacks an understanding of the ways that first responder trauma and stress affects their marriages and romantic relationships. The current study’s purpose was to investigate the experiences of first responder spouses and partners within the Las Vegas area in regards to stress, trauma, and relationship dynamics as influenced by the first responder role. In this study, 11 participants who were in a marriage or romantic relationship with a first responder were interviewed within a 60-minute time frame through the use of a virtual platform. Findings from the interviews showed that the impact of first responder job stress, the effects of repeated exposure to trauma, and first responder cultural attitudes were important aspects of the first responder relationships. These findings were developed from the following ten emergent themes: acceptance of career demands, manifestations of stress, communication patterns, work-life balance, hypervigilance, effects of trauma, mental health, support systems, personal identity, and first responder culture.
Keywords
Communication; Couples Counseling; Family Relationships; First Responders; Relationships; Trauma
Disciplines
Counseling Psychology | Marriage and Family Therapy and Counseling | Psychiatric and Mental Health
File Format
File Size
1400 KB
Degree Grantor
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Language
English
Repository Citation
Thiess, Eden, "The Effects of First Responder Stress & Trauma on Spouses and Romantic Partners" (2024). UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones. 5208.
http://dx.doi.org/10.34917/38330421
Rights
IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Included in
Counseling Psychology Commons, Marriage and Family Therapy and Counseling Commons, Psychiatric and Mental Health Commons
