The Effects of First Responder Stress & Trauma on Spouses and Romantic Partners

First responder jobs pose unique difficulties due to the sheer number of traumatic events that they witness and personally experience. Research has demonstrated some effects of stress and trauma on family relationships, but the literature lacks an understanding of the ways that first responder trauma and stress affects their marriages and romantic relationships. The current study’s purpose was to investigate the experiences of first responder spouses and partners within the Las Vegas area in regards to stress, trauma, and relationship dynamics as influenced by the first responder role. In this study, 11 participants who were in a marriage or romantic relationship with a first responder were interviewed within a 60-minute time frame through the use of a virtual platform. Findings from the interviews showed that the impact of first responder job stress, the effects of repeated exposure to trauma, and first responder cultural attitudes were important aspects of the first responder relationships. These findings were developed from the following ten emergent themes: acceptance of career demands, manifestations of stress, communication patterns, work-life balance, hypervigilance, effects of trauma, mental health, support systems, personal identity, and first responder culture.