A Cognitive Behavioral Model of First Responder Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Abstract

First responders face significant risks with respect to their mental health including exposure to traumatic events and subsequent development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). There are many established psychological treatment guidelines for PTSD, but there are reasons to believe that first responders differ significantly from the general population and would benefit from a targeted approach to treatment planning. The authors present a cognitive behavioral model of first responder PTSD, which integrates important factors related to this population as well as an illustrative case study. This model may be useful in identifying stuck points, maintenance factors, and targets for psychological treatment.