(PS11-B28) The First, First Responder: Exploring the Mental Health Toll of Helping in 911 Telecommunicators

911 telecommunicators are first responders who collectively answer over 200 million emergency calls a year in the United States (National 911 Program, 2021). They are particularly at risk for posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), secondary traumatic stress (STS), and burnout (BO) due to the nature of their work (Allen et al., 2016; Pierce & Lilly, 2012, Troxwell, 2008). Yet being a first responder can provide a sense of fulfillment called compassion satisfaction (CS; Stamm, 2010). This study aims to determine the prevalence of PTSS, STS, BO, and CS among 911 telecommunicators and identify associated personal, duty-related, social support, and work cohesion factors associated with those mental health states.

 Cross-sectional survey data was collected from 911 telecommunicators (n = 425; 79.3% female, 84.5% White, M^age = 41.89, SD^age = 10.63) from Washington, Oregon, and California. We used the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5; Weathers et al., 2015), the Professional Quality of Life (Stamm, 2010), the Perceived Cohesion Scale (PCS; Bollen & Hoyle, 1990), and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS; Zimet et al., 1988) to measure PTSS, STS, BO, CS, and perceived social and work support, respectively. We used descriptive statistics to achieve our first aim of identifying the frequency of PTSS, STS, BO, and CS. For our second aim, we conducted hierarchical multivariable linear regressions to explore the associations between PTSS, STS, BO, and CS with personal, career, and social/work support factors.

 Approximately 24.7-33.4% of the telecommunicators screened positive for PTSS using the cut-off score and diagnostic criterion (Weathers et al., 2013).  Most participants reported moderate STS, BO, and CS. Increased sleep dysfunction and personal trauma and decreased perceived social support were significantly associated with increased PTSS (F[5, 256] = 20.210, p < .001). Increased sleep dysfunction and work trauma were significantly associated with increased STS (F[9,179] = 6.630, p < .001). Increased sleep dysfunction and decreased perceived work cohesion and perceived social support were significantly associated with increased BO (F[8, 199] = 20.180, p < .001). Decreased sleep dysfunction, more anticipated future years in 911, and increased perceived social support and work cohesion were significantly associated with increased CS (F[10, 219] = 30.166, p < .001). Sleep quality was a key factor in both negative and positive mental health. Personal trauma was significantly linked to PTSS, while work trauma was significantly linked to STS. Telecommunicators' perception of social and work support systems is strongly linked to BO and CS. Providing sleep and trauma-focused interventions for 911 operators may be crucial to maintaining a healthy workforce. To improve personal support and reduce burnout (BO) and increase job satisfaction (CS), workplace interventions promoting morale, cohesion, and work-life balance are beneficial. Further research should use a longitudinal design to evaluate clinical and workplace interventions more effectively.