Date

4-7-2026

Department

School of Behavioral Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Education in Community Care and Counseling (EdD)

Chair

Pamela Moore

Keywords

911 Emergency Dispatchers, Secondary Traumatic Stress, First Responders, Resiliency, Posttraumatic Growth, Gender

Disciplines

Counseling

Abstract

This quantitative study examined secondary traumatic stress (STS), resiliency, posttraumatic growth (PTG), and gender among 911 emergency dispatchers, a population exposed to high levels of indirect trauma yet underrepresented in research. The purpose of the study was to investigate whether resiliency moderates the relationship between STS and PTG, and whether gender moderates the relationship between resiliency and STS. Data were collected from 99 U.S. emergency dispatchers using the Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale, Brief Resilience Scale, and Posttraumatic Growth Inventory. Results indicated that most participants reported elevated STS, and correlations revealed that resiliency was negatively related to STS, while STS was positively related to PTG. Moderation analyses demonstrated that neither resiliency nor gender significantly moderated the respective relationships, though females reported higher STS, and resiliency was associated with lower STS overall. These findings underscore the importance of promoting resiliency and psychological protective factors to reduce the impact of secondary trauma. Implications include the development of trauma-informed interventions, workplace support, and peer-based programs to foster mental health and post-traumatic growth in high-risk helping professions. This study contributes to the understanding of trauma exposure, adaptive coping, and growth following adversity among emergency dispatchers.

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