Date of Award

Spring 5-2018

Degree Type

Honors College Thesis

Department

Criminal Justice

First Advisor

Alan Thompson

Advisor Department

Criminal Justice

Abstract

9-1-1 public safety telecommunicators are the first line of emergency services; however, minimal research currently exists on their mental health. A lack of understanding exists as to how the continuous flow of traumatic calls are influencing these people. The purpose of this project is to help fill the existing gap in literature and contribute to the existing minimal foundation for future research on this topic. Participants for this study were obtained with agency consent from the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office in Gulfport, MS; Gulfport Police Department in Gulfport, MS; Hattiesburg Police Department in Hattiesburg, MS; and Cobb County 911 in Marietta, GA. This study was conducted using the quantitative method of anonymous surveying on employed 9-1-1 public safety telecommunicators. Using this quantitative method, the researcher recorded and analyzed the prevalence of secondary trauma, depression, and anxiety among participants. Information from these results and observations can be used to guide future research and policy development. This study is noteworthy because 9-1-1 public safety telecommunicators in the states of Mississippi and Georgia have not been studied until now.

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