What does resilience have to do with 911 Mental Health

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.16″ hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” module_class=”poppins-light” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_margin=”-47px|||||” hover_enabled=”0″ inline_fonts=”Alex Brush,ZCOOL XiaoWei” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]

What does resilience have to do with 911 Mental Health

Cherie Bartram

The recognition of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD or sometimes referred to as PTS) and mental health resilience has been a slow process in the United States. This issue first came to light with the return of soldiers in the Russian-Japanese war of 1904.  Progressing to more recent war-related trauma, the Vietnam War, which took place from 1954 to 1975, with high U.S. combat involvement from 1965 to 1975, highlighted serious post-battle symptoms for returning soldiers, acting as a catalyst for awareness.  By 1980 the American Psychiatric Association (APA) officially recognized PTSD as a mental health condition for combat trauma.  However, according to the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress, only in a little over the last decade has the attention been focused on others, such as those in public safety, including 911 personnel.  In 2022, PTSD was recognized as a line-of-duty injury, by law, allowing first responders to seek disability benefits.  Recognition of the trauma has grown, how to keep ourselves mentally and physically healthy through resilience is developing as well through awareness and education.  With a goal to promote mental health resilience, agencies throughout the world are taking this tough subject to heart.  Providing personnel with the ability to adapt, withstand adversity, and bounce back from difficult situations.  It is important to understand that being resilient does not mean someone will not experience challenges or distressing events. Rather, resilience is about being deliberate and intentional in how one responds to hardships. For 911 professionals, this means being intentional in how they respond to the calls for help they receive on a daily basis. This intentional response, known as resilience, has been a widely recognized need, but still a slow journey for public safety.  Supporters of resilience training and healthy mental health responses, recognize it as an increasingly important topic, especially for high-stress professions like public safety. The aim is to help people develop the skills to cope with the adversity they face healthily.  As mental health awareness grows in public safety, it is not just being aware of mental health needs, the focus of training for people to understand and build resilience is becoming accepted.  The old ways of dealing with a person experiencing distress are not as prevalent (thankfully!).  Historically speaking, phrases commonly used, such as “suck it up buttercup”, were the only “encouragement” provided for call takers and dispatchers who were struggling with a particularly rough incident. For the majority of the past years in the 911 field, there was no recognition for those who answered the calls of what to do in a struggle.  If you’re not part of a 911 center, you may ask, what calls?  Take the information and hang up.  But most of you know the calls referred to here  – those calls that wrench your gut while you listen to a parent pleading for you to help save their child’s life.  The dispatcher who remained calm as her law enforcement partner was shot, and with every breath the officer had, they were begging for help to arrive, faster, I know the feeling, I know the calls, because I too, have taken them.

911, we tell people, is not for everyone. But how many people have we lost in this industry because we failed to recognize their suffering and put processes in place to help them?  Mental health awareness is not just about watching people for suicidal idealization awareness.  It’s about helping people recognize their own suffering or struggles and teaching them how to increase their resilience. There are some simple steps that will help on this journey to a healthier you and a stronger resilience.   Awareness is a big step and using that awareness to reach out for support when you have dealt with “that call” can go a long way.  Other simple tactics of self-care occur through exercise and eating.  According to an article in the U.S. News regarding foods and drinks, some foods can actually make us worse.  These foods, linked to anxiety, include highly processed food and ready-made meals.  These meals are often used as “comfort food” and are not only full of fats and carbs, they can trigger anxiety by increasing inflammation in the body. These are simple suggestions of ways to help you feel better and develop a stronger resilience. To be clear, the purpose of this article is not meant to give you a one-and-done approach to this topic.  The purpose is to bring awareness to resilience and mental health so that you can help be the difference and make a difference, and stay healthy while you do it, no matter where you are.

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]