Coping Strategies for Exposure to Trauma Situations in First Responders: A Systematic Review
Abstract
Objective The objective of the present work was to characterize the coping strategies used by first responders to emergencies in the face of exposure to traumatic events. Methods A systematic search was performed in the databases MEDLINE (Ovid), EMBASE, LILACS (Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences), and the Cochrane Central Registry of Controlled Clinical Trials (CENTRAL) from their inception through February 2022. First responders to emergencies with training in the prehospital area and who used validated measurement instruments for coping strategies were included. Results First responders to emergencies frequently used nonadaptive coping strategies, with avoidance or disconnection being one of the main strategies, as a tool to avoid confronting difficult situations and to downplay the perceived stressful event. The nonadaptive coping strategies used by these personnel showed a strong relationship with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, burnout syndrome, psychiatric morbidity, and chronic stress. As part of the adaptive strategies, active coping was found, which includes acceptance, positive reinterpretation, focusing on the problem, self-efficacy, and emotional support, either social or instrumental, as protective strategies for these personnel. Conclusions Developing adaptive coping strategies, whether focused on problems or seeking emotional support, can benefit emergency personnel in coping with stressful situations. These coping strateg…
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In first responders, avoidant coping strategies are related to worse mental health and job burnout, while approach-related, active coping strategies have emerged as protective factors.
“In first responders, these strategies similarly are related to worse mental health and job burnout, while approach-related, active coping strategies such as positive reinterpretations and emotional support have emerged as protective factors (Díaz-Tamayo et al., 2022).”
From I've Seen Enough: Measuring the Toll of Content Moderation on Mental Health (2025) · cites this paper as Díaz-Tamayo et al., 2022
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References 51 · Cited by 37
- Authors
- Díaz-Tamayo, A. M., Escobar-Morantes, J. R., & García-Perdomo, H. A.
- Affiliations
- Universidad del Valle (CO)
- Corresponding author
- Díaz-Tamayo, Alejandra María
- Venue
- Prehospital and Disaster Medicine
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Published
- 2022-11-03
- Volume
- 37
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 810-818
- ISSN
- 0882-7397 (ISSN-L)
- 1049-023X
- 1945-1938
- OpenAlex
- W4308059192
- Cited by
- 37
- References
- 51
- Citations by year
- 2026: 12 · 2025: 16 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 1
- FWCI
- 1.04
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Prehospital and Disaster Medicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Stress and Burnout Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Resilience and Mental Health
- Keywords
- coping strategies, first responders, trauma exposure, post-traumatic stress disorder, burnout, psychiatric morbidity, chronic stress, avoidance, active coping, emotional support, self-efficacy, occupational stress
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Psychological, Emergencies, Humans, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Emergency Responders
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