Trauma, Resilience, and Posttraumatic Growth in Frontline Personnel

Jane Shakespeare-Finch has spend 25 years conducting research to inform psychoeducation and intervention programs promoting resilience and posttraumatic growth in frontline personnel. Paul J. Scully has worked in emergency services for over 40 years, first as a paramedic, then paramedicine educator, and later as a clinical psychotherapist.Dagmar Bruenig works in genetics and epigenetics maintaining a focus on interdisciplinary research. Dagmar has worked with diverse cohorts, including military personnel, paramedics, and correctional service officers.

"This refreshing book notes that trauma emerges from the subjective response to the event, rather than the event itself. This is the first book to extend beyond traditional frontline professions to include others that are also vulnerable to trauma and traumatic reactions. As a result, the book is an extraordinary and lucid overview of the field from the perspective of trauma and posttraumatic growth."Charles R. Figley, PhD, the Tulane University Paul Henry Kurzweg, MD, distinguished chair in Disaster Mental Health and director of the Tulane University Traumatology Institute"Internationally known researcher Jane Shakespeare-Finch has teamed up with an extensive range of interdisciplinary colleagues to produce this important collection. This is a beautifully organized book that follows the journeys of emergency first responders to those who remain involved long after the immediate situation averts, and it combines personal vignettes with rigorous reviews of the literature. It will serve as a welcome resource to students, academics, and practitioners alike."Professor Cheryl Regehr, vice president and provost, University of Toronto"This book makes an invaluable contribution to the literature on resilience and posttraumatic growth. There are similarities but also distinct differences among the various groups of frontline workers. Each chapter provides a unique understanding of posttraumatic growth that is greatly needed not only to facilitate health and wellness in the individual, but also to improve our overall society. I highly recommend the work of these authors."Professor Brian A. Chopko, PhD, PD, Department of Sociology and Criminology, Kent State University at Stark

• Foreword Part One: Mental Health Strategies within Frontline Organizations 1. Introduction, Core Concepts and Purpose 2. Psychoeducation, Leadership, and Interventions Part Two: Specific Frontline Roles and Contexts 3. Emergency Medical Dispatchers 4. Law Enforcement 5. Paramedics 6. Firefighters 7. Disaster and Emergency Response Volunteers 8. Nurses 9. Emergency Physicians 10. Correctional Officers 11. Military Personnel 12. Child Protection Workers 13. Mental Health Workers 14. Disaster Victim Identification Specialists 15. Humanitarian Workers Part Three: Building Resilience and Posttraumatic Growth in Individuals and Communities 16. Therapy and Counseling for Frontline Workers 17. Community Growth and Resilience in the Face of Disasters 18. Summary and Reflections