Your literature review should:
Extend your introduction an additional 600 words (about 3 – 6 paragraphs)
The new content should identify important themes/subtopics/issues in the scholarly literature about your topic
Consider including the following:
Brief summaries of scholarly sources (ideally at least 2 sources per paragraph) that relate to that theme/subtopic/issue.
Explain how the scholarly research on this topic has contributed to our understanding of this theme/subtopic/issue or how it is contradictory or unsatisfactory in contributing to our understanding of this theme/subtopic/issue.
Describe what themes/subtopics/issues are / not well understood.
Describe how different threads of the research conflict with each other or raise questions.
Propose a research question and explain briefly how answering the research question will improve our understanding, help us resolve conflicts in the previous literature, and/or answer questions that the literature has raised.
Include support from at least three of your sources (preferably the scholarly ones)
Include works cited on separate last page.
FEEDBACK NOTE: You will receive feedback on this assignment regarding whether you are on the right track with your content and research for Essay 3.
Introduction
First responders are essential in the community and help respond to emergencies. In disasters and emergencies, first responders are the first line of defense and assist in de-escalating situations. They include police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical professionals (Taylor, 2023). In responding to emergencies, these professionals face traumatic events regularly, and this leads to the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This mental problem occurs when people experience traumatic events, which are common during emergencies (Bertolini et al., 2022). Consequently, PTSD has been identified as a common psychological issue among first responders. The effects of this mental problem could be considerable and could impact their personal, social, and occupational lives. The current research investigates how PTSD affects first responder’s job performance, especially their ability to make quick decisions in emergencies.
Review of Past Research
Fast responders encounter different situations they should respond to in their line of duty. They have to make split-second decisions to help save lives and property. They experience destruction, human suffering, and death regularly, which causes psychological and emotional distress (Kobrin, 2023). Police officers are exposed to violent situations like shootings, and this exposes them to personal safety (Regehr& LeBlanc, 2017). Firefighters experience heat, thick smoke, and collapsing structures that create a dangerous environment (Kobrin, 2023). Paramedics deal with deaths and severe injuries, and this has a psychological impact. Eventually, this element would lead to the development of PTSD.
Significantly, first responders are not exposed to these situations only once, but it is their nature of work. They face these traumatizing events every day of their work (Foley et al., 2022). They work longer shifts and sacrifice their well-being and health to ensure others are safe (Kobrin, 2023). This constant exposure to emergencies and the need to make slip-second life-and-death decisions affect the mental health of first responders (Kobrin, 2023; Regehr& LeBlanc, 2017). The need for them to always be on alert and this could make them hyper-vigilant and will increase the risk of developing PTSD.
First responders are at increased risk of developing PTSD compared to the general population. The disease presents them in terms of intrusive nightmares, thoughts, and memories (Merians et al., 2023). In some cases, they could show withdrawal symptoms and become emotionally numb. Intense fear, anxiety, and sadness are other symptoms that first responders could experience (National Institutes of Health, 2023). Anger, emotional outbursts, and irritability are also common in people with PTSD(National Institutes of Health, 2023). Fatigue, sleeping problems, headaches, and substance are also symptoms in these situations.
Usually, society relies on first responders to make sound decisions and perform exceptionally well when responding to life-threatening and stressful situations (Regehr& LeBlanc, 2017). The above symptoms are significant and can affect how first responders function professionally and personally. Individuals with PTSD symptoms have high acute stress levels when they encounter high-acuity situations (Regehr& LeBlanc, 2017). Notably, acute stress has a connection with performance deficits in various situations. They could have verbal memory impairment and have deficits regarding complex cognitive tasks. Cognitive impairment and disability arising from PTSD and this would lead to affect how first responders engage in their work (Regehr& LeBlanc, 2017). Acute stress has been associated with impaired performance and altered perceptions.
According to Regehr and LeBlanc (2017), it is crucial to consider acute stress in line with PTSD. Acute stress could make people interpret ambiguous stimuli as being threatening. Also, when individuals are anxious, they are likely to have attention bias towards threat stimuli. Therefore, they are likely to feel that risks in a particular situation are higher than those of neutral people who assess the same problem (Regehr & LeBlanc, 2017). They would also respond to situations or threats earlier than average. Notably, law enforcement officers can get more distracted by task-irrelevant threat-related information and could show bias when responding to shootings.
Importantly, anxious people are likely to be risk averse and may show impairments in verbal reasoning when they are engaging in high-demand situations. It indicates stress and anxiety, like the ones caused by PTSD, could have adverse effects on how first responders engage in their work (Regehr& LeBlanc, 2017). It could impact their decision-making and also their overall performance. A review by Butner (2022) found that PTSD is associated with poor occupation and social functioning. In particular, this element would prevent these professionals from engaging in social activities and professional duties effectively.
Though the literature has indicated how PSTD and acute stress could affect decision-making and performance among first responders, very few studies have addressed this issue. Some findings have said that PTSD symptoms will decrease performance, and others indicate that some coping approaches could help prevent the adverse effects of this problem. It is important to continue researching this subject to confirm past findings’ accuracy or challenge them. Future research would also clarify some of the issues related to the influence of PTSD among fast responders and ensure that the gaps and inconsistencies are adequately addressed.
Research Question
How does PTSD affect first responders’ job performance and ability to make quick decisions during emergencies?
Methodology
The study used a mixed-methods approach to examine the above research question. Qualitative and quantitative approaches allow a comprehensive investigation of the research project. It allowed the understanding of the extent to which PTSD interferes with decision-making and occupational performance among first responders.
The population of this research were first responders. In particular, the researcher included police officers, firefighters, and paramedics. These individuals had to be actively engaged in emergencies and disaster response. People included in the study were those employed at the time and diagnosed with PTSD. The inclusion of these people ensures appropriate examination of the subject.
The author used convenient sampling and a snowball approach to recruit and sample the participants in the study. Contacts with first responder agencies were used to identify the participants in the study. Then, the participants were requested to refer more people who meet the eligibility criteria. It helped to expand the sample size and ensure that appropriate and eligible participants were included in the research. In total, 45 participants participated in this study using qualitative and quantitative approaches.
The data collection happened through qualitative interviews. These semi-structured interviews helped to provide insight into the personal experiences of first responders on how PTSD and stress affect them and their jobs. The interviews were conducted by phone, face-to-face, in offices, or at their homes, according to participants’ preferences. The researcher used an interview guide to direct the interviews. It included the impact of PTSD and stress on decision-making during emergencies and overall job performance. The interviews were audio-recorded and later transcribed verbatim. In total, nine interviews were carried out during the study. Quantitative surveys were also used to collect data in this study. It was self-administered and comprised of close-ended questions. They were distributed through email, ordinary mail, or physically. It aimed to assess PTSD symptoms and their effects on job performance. Out of the 45 surveys distributed, only 36 were completed and returned to the researcher.
The statistical software SPSS was used to analyze the quantitative data in the study. Descriptive statistics was used to examine the PTSD symptoms that participants presented with. It also helped to understand the percentage of people who are affected by PTSD in their jobs and in making decisions. The analysis also examined the ways how PTSD affects the functionality of first responders. A thematic analysis approach was used to analyze information collected through interviews. The transcripts were coded and categorized to identify patterns and themes related to the research question.
The research observed various ethical aspects in the study to ensure effective data collection and the validity and reliability of the findings. After understanding the goals, benefits, risks, and procedures, the researchers obtained information from all participants to indicate their willingness to participate. Also, the information collected from the participants was kept confidential. Only authorized people could access the data stored correctly on a computer with passwords. The project was not harmful to the participants, and the assessment was done in a way that would harm patients physically or mentally. Professionalism and ethical principles were followed throughout the research.
The post Your literature review should: Extend your introduction an additional 600 words (about appeared first on essayfab.