The impact of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing on the partners of firefighters
Open accessAbstract
This study explored the impact of the 1995 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, bombing on the spouses and significant others of a volunteer sample of Oklahoma City firefighters who participated in the bombing rescue effort. Twenty-seven partners of Oklahoma City firefighters participated in this study, conducted 42 to 44 months after the bombing. These partners were assessed using a structured diagnostic interview and a companion interview to examine exposure, rates of psychiatric disorders and symptoms, functioning, health, and relationships. Coping and perception of the firefighter partner's response were also examined. Some of the women were exposed directly; most knew someone who had been involved in the disaster, and all reported exposure through the media. The rate of psychiatric disorders in the women following the disaster was 22%, essentially unchanged from before the incident. One developed bomb-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Most were satisfied with their work performance; 15% reported that their health had worsened since the bombing, and more than one third reported permanent changes in relationships as a result of the bombing. Most coped by turning to friends or relatives, with less than 10% seeking professional help. Many described symptoms in their firefighter mate; all reported that their mate had been affected by the experience, and one half said their mate had fully recovered. The mates of these firefighters fared relatively well in terms of psychiatric disorders, symptoms, and ability to function. The prevalence of bomb-related posttraumatic stress disorder was considerably lower in this sample than in samples of individuals more directly exposed to the bombing, although some reported changes in relationships and health. The results suggest the need for further study of the impact of interpersonal exposure in those who provide support for rescue-and-recovery workers in major terrorist incidents.
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Alcohol consumption has been identified as one of the most prominent coping strategies used by firefighters in response to occupational stress.
“Alcohol consumption has been identified as one of the most prominent coping strategies used by firefighters in response to occupational stress [95,96].”
From The Cyclical Battle of Insomnia and Mental Health Impairment in Firefighters: A Narrative Review (2024) · cites this paper as [95]
The Discussion reports that, among firefighters responding to the Oklahoma City bombing, alcohol use was the second most frequently reported coping measure after turning to friends or relatives. This supports its prominence in that disaster response, but not the broader claim about firefighters coping with occupational stress generally. (LLM, conf=0.86)
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- Authors
- Pfefferbaum, B.
- Affiliations
- University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (US)
- Corresponding author
- Pfefferbaum, B.
- ORCID
- Pfefferbaum, B.
- Venue
- Journal of Urban Health: Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine
- Published
- 2002-09-01
- Volume
- 79
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 364-372
- ISSN
- 0022-1503 (ISSN-L)
- 1099-3460
- 1471-8505
- PMC
- PMC3456794
- OpenAlex
- W2035093894
- Cited by
- 39
- References
- 19
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 2 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 1 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 2.20
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Journal of Heredity (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- U.S. Department of Justice (MIPT106-113-2000-020)
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology
- Office of Justice Programs
- National Institute of Mental Health
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Occupational Therapy › Occupational Health and Performance
- Keywords
- Oklahoma City bombing, post-traumatic stress disorder, secondary exposure, media exposure, mental illness, coping, relationship change, occupational health, terrorist attacks, disaster recovery
- MeSH terms
- Workforce, Adaptation, Psychological, Adult, Disasters, Explosions, Female, Fires, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Mental Health, Middle Aged, Oklahoma, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Urban Health, Spouses, Rescue Work, Terrorism
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