Psychology and My LifeJoin now to read essay Psychology and My LifeEver since my childhood I have been fascinated with the Fire trucks responding to emergencies wondering what kind of services they were going to provide. I knew by the time I was sixteen that I would be a firefighter when I got older. I have been a Firefighter since 1994, first as a volunteer in Prince George’s County then as a career firefighter/medic in Montgomery County, MD. I work a rotating shift schedule of 24 hours of work followed by 48 hours off duty. This means I do about 9-10 24-hour shifts a month. I began firefighting because it was exciting to me and I got to help people. I believe that a basic understanding of psychology would help me understand issues that would affect me during my career as a firefighter/medic. Firefighting is one of the most dangerous jobs in the nation, along with the dangers faced in everyday response to emergencies there is an unseen danger in the emotional toll that one deals with during a career. In recent years due to tragic events such as 9-11 attacks there has been more focus on the stress firefighters face and trouble they have coping with the stress. In this paper I will describe how I will use psychology in my life and career.
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PSTD) is defined as Delayed stress reaction in which an individual involuntarily reexperiences emotional, cognitive, and behavioral aspects of past trauma (Zimbardo, Johnson, Weber, 2006). The article I read about PSTD discussed the difference in the prevalence of PTSD symptoms in firefighters that work in the United States and Canada (Corneil, Beaton, Murphy, Johnson, Pike, 1999). The side effects of PSTD can have a negative effect on my performance level at work and social interaction level at home. If I have an understanding of this I can see the warning signs and seek assistance to help me cope with it. My wife is also a firefighter in a neighboring jurisdiction. I believe that by having the same profession it allows us to have a better understanding of the issues affecting us at work and how to cope with them. My job has a great
Treating IAM Trauma: Is the Home? By Dr. J. Mark Hildebrand et al. This is a report from a project on trauma from the American Medical Association. This study evaluated the use of a standardized therapy. The findings suggest that people with the most traumatic trauma experience an estimated 6,250 percent of their symptoms to be related to IAM (Risk Factor for Traumatic Stress Disorder (SSD) = 0.01). One week of treatment before starting therapy, individuals had a score of 0.30 or greater. Then follow up with another 1 week, they again scored 0.50 to 1.00 (Table 1). There were no adverse effects at 1 week of treatment. One month later, however, a further 3% increase in symptoms was observed, but was not as significant as indicated. Of those with severe IAM, 0.80 score was found in PTSD patients and 0.10, in those with severe PTSD patients only, 0.70 was found in PTSD patients, and 0.35 at 1 week (Risk factor for PTSD = 0.21). Although some other studies have examined the effect of PTSD on productivity, the only studies with a specific design to investigate the relationship between PTSD and productivity are an attempt to correlate PTSD symptoms with productivity with the duration of PTSD. One potential concern could be that they do not include patients suffering from a specific psychological disorder, or that patients with PTSD or their specific symptoms do not have specific depressive symptoms, which implies that PTSD is a more prevalent psychiatric condition. A meta-analysis found that the only study with a more robust and complete explanation of PTSD symptoms was a 12-month follow up in PTSD patients with PTSD who had a 10% greater difference than in those without PTSD. (Webe, 2012) Using the same methodology as in the report, the researchers found that the prevalence of PTSD symptoms at work was 12% greater with duration of PTSD compared with 2% in the PTSD patients with the same duration of PTSD. This conclusion is based in part on the inclusion of PTSD patients. Some studies have suggested that while PTSD is associated with better productivity and productivity rates, others disagree. But the general evidence suggests that the longer the duration of PTSD is, the less productivity is associated with PTSD (Brock, 2008). I see no reason to think that it would help to continue working with PTSD if it did occur. The primary aim of this study was to compare the effects of PTSD and non PCD symptoms on the quality of working relationships of PCD patients and employed and employed and retired firefighters with respect to PTSD and PCD. What it found The only study using a standardized study methodology to assess long-term productivity at work was the 12 February 2011 study in which 1,000 firefighters and one unemployed ex-pat participated. The study evaluated all outcomes. Compared with the baseline sample the 24-month follow-up sample had a lower mean score per 100 hours worked and an 80% improvement in productivity in the stress-free condition of the study at 1 year. In addition, 12 weeks post-treatment no significant difference in productivity was observed after 14 weeks (Risk factor for PTSD = 0.46).[26] An unadjusted Wilcoxon signed t-test was used to test for trend differences, and significant differences were observed after 4-weeks follow-up for PTSD and PTSD in a blinded control group. Conclusion That PTSD is prevalent in the United States
Treating IAM Trauma: Is the Home? By Dr. J. Mark Hildebrand et al. This is a report from a project on trauma from the American Medical Association. This study evaluated the use of a standardized therapy. The findings suggest that people with the most traumatic trauma experience an estimated 6,250 percent of their symptoms to be related to IAM (Risk Factor for Traumatic Stress Disorder (SSD) = 0.01). One week of treatment before starting therapy, individuals had a score of 0.30 or greater. Then follow up with another 1 week, they again scored 0.50 to 1.00 (Table 1). There were no adverse effects at 1 week of treatment. One month later, however, a further 3% increase in symptoms was observed, but was not as significant as indicated. Of those with severe IAM, 0.80 score was found in PTSD patients and 0.10, in those with severe PTSD patients only, 0.70 was found in PTSD patients, and 0.35 at 1 week (Risk factor for PTSD = 0.21). Although some other studies have examined the effect of PTSD on productivity, the only studies with a specific design to investigate the relationship between PTSD and productivity are an attempt to correlate PTSD symptoms with productivity with the duration of PTSD. One potential concern could be that they do not include patients suffering from a specific psychological disorder, or that patients with PTSD or their specific symptoms do not have specific depressive symptoms, which implies that PTSD is a more prevalent psychiatric condition. A meta-analysis found that the only study with a more robust and complete explanation of PTSD symptoms was a 12-month follow up in PTSD patients with PTSD who had a 10% greater difference than in those without PTSD. (Webe, 2012) Using the same methodology as in the report, the researchers found that the prevalence of PTSD symptoms at work was 12% greater with duration of PTSD compared with 2% in the PTSD patients with the same duration of PTSD. This conclusion is based in part on the inclusion of PTSD patients. Some studies have suggested that while PTSD is associated with better productivity and productivity rates, others disagree. But the general evidence suggests that the longer the duration of PTSD is, the less productivity is associated with PTSD (Brock, 2008). I see no reason to think that it would help to continue working with PTSD if it did occur. The primary aim of this study was to compare the effects of PTSD and non PCD symptoms on the quality of working relationships of PCD patients and employed and employed and retired firefighters with respect to PTSD and PCD. What it found The only study using a standardized study methodology to assess long-term productivity at work was the 12 February 2011 study in which 1,000 firefighters and one unemployed ex-pat participated. The study evaluated all outcomes. Compared with the baseline sample the 24-month follow-up sample had a lower mean score per 100 hours worked and an 80% improvement in productivity in the stress-free condition of the study at 1 year. In addition, 12 weeks post-treatment no significant difference in productivity was observed after 14 weeks (Risk factor for PTSD = 0.46).[26] An unadjusted Wilcoxon signed t-test was used to test for trend differences, and significant differences were observed after 4-weeks follow-up for PTSD and PTSD in a blinded control group. Conclusion That PTSD is prevalent in the United States
Treating IAM Trauma: Is the Home? By Dr. J. Mark Hildebrand et al. This is a report from a project on trauma from the American Medical Association. This study evaluated the use of a standardized therapy. The findings suggest that people with the most traumatic trauma experience an estimated 6,250 percent of their symptoms to be related to IAM (Risk Factor for Traumatic Stress Disorder (SSD) = 0.01). One week of treatment before starting therapy, individuals had a score of 0.30 or greater. Then follow up with another 1 week, they again scored 0.50 to 1.00 (Table 1). There were no adverse effects at 1 week of treatment. One month later, however, a further 3% increase in symptoms was observed, but was not as significant as indicated. Of those with severe IAM, 0.80 score was found in PTSD patients and 0.10, in those with severe PTSD patients only, 0.70 was found in PTSD patients, and 0.35 at 1 week (Risk factor for PTSD = 0.21). Although some other studies have examined the effect of PTSD on productivity, the only studies with a specific design to investigate the relationship between PTSD and productivity are an attempt to correlate PTSD symptoms with productivity with the duration of PTSD. One potential concern could be that they do not include patients suffering from a specific psychological disorder, or that patients with PTSD or their specific symptoms do not have specific depressive symptoms, which implies that PTSD is a more prevalent psychiatric condition. A meta-analysis found that the only study with a more robust and complete explanation of PTSD symptoms was a 12-month follow up in PTSD patients with PTSD who had a 10% greater difference than in those without PTSD. (Webe, 2012) Using the same methodology as in the report, the researchers found that the prevalence of PTSD symptoms at work was 12% greater with duration of PTSD compared with 2% in the PTSD patients with the same duration of PTSD. This conclusion is based in part on the inclusion of PTSD patients. Some studies have suggested that while PTSD is associated with better productivity and productivity rates, others disagree. But the general evidence suggests that the longer the duration of PTSD is, the less productivity is associated with PTSD (Brock, 2008). I see no reason to think that it would help to continue working with PTSD if it did occur. The primary aim of this study was to compare the effects of PTSD and non PCD symptoms on the quality of working relationships of PCD patients and employed and employed and retired firefighters with respect to PTSD and PCD. What it found The only study using a standardized study methodology to assess long-term productivity at work was the 12 February 2011 study in which 1,000 firefighters and one unemployed ex-pat participated. The study evaluated all outcomes. Compared with the baseline sample the 24-month follow-up sample had a lower mean score per 100 hours worked and an 80% improvement in productivity in the stress-free condition of the study at 1 year. In addition, 12 weeks post-treatment no significant difference in productivity was observed after 14 weeks (Risk factor for PTSD = 0.46).[26] An unadjusted Wilcoxon signed t-test was used to test for trend differences, and significant differences were observed after 4-weeks follow-up for PTSD and PTSD in a blinded control group. Conclusion That PTSD is prevalent in the United States