Date of Award
2024
Document Type
Scholarly Project
Degree Name
Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD)
Department
Occupational Therapy
First Advisor
Kelly Dornbier
Second Advisor
Sclinda Janssen
Abstract
The proposed program is a mental health program, targeting meaningful daily occupations for the population of first responders facing trauma fatigue and antecedents of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms related to stress from work. For individuals who serve as first responders, there is significant prevalence for trauma exposure, leading to trauma fatigue due to events encountered on the job. Mazur and Collins (2023) found that 80% of police and first responders experience traumatic events on the job and that 25% have experienced suicidal ideation due to impacts of trauma exposure. There is a lack of professional mental health services supporting this population, therefore the program is designed as a resource to support mental health amongst first responders. This project was completed under the supervision of an outpatient mental health occupational therapist, at a practice that uses equine-assisted therapy (EAT) approaches for interventions. The use of EAT approaches allows for additional leverage in treating mental health concerns, allowing for connection to be built and fostered within a supportive, unique environment (Taylor, 2020). The program focuses on increasing occupational participation in relation to mental health. It is intended to be implemented over the course of six weeks or as an intensive program over the course of three days. The program consists of six group sessions focused on providing valuable resources to sustain mental health and wellbeing. The sessions focus on areas of occupation including activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living, social participation, health management, and work (AOTA, 2020). Sessions consist of EAT approaches to target improvement in mental health. Implementation consists of a group-based approach to instill peer support. Sessions address social emotional wellbeing in relation to occupations, by implementing vii strategies such as coping skills, communication strategies, leadership skills, and team-building activities. The program will provide the target population with useful skills to maintain health and wellbeing by supporting their mental health and encouraging peer support. This program could be easily generalized to other populations that face mental health challenges. The program will support the mental health of first responders, leading to decreased mental health concerns and suicide attempts or ideations within this population.
Recommended Citation
Locke, Kady, "An Occupational Therapy Program For First Responders Facing Trauma Fatigue And Work-Related Stressors Using Equine Facilitated Approaches" (2024). Occupational Therapy Capstones. 612.
https://commons.und.edu/ot-grad/612