Matthew Hill

Critical incident stress is stress experienced by paramedics following perceived traumatic events involving patient care. Family support, such as talking to a partner, remains a primary coping strategy; however, this can lead to secondary traumatic stress in partners. Secondary traumatic stress poses a considerable burden on individuals as it is associated with avoidance of traumatic experience reminders, fear, sleep disturbance, and intrusive recollections. My research will investigate critical incident stress in Critical Care Paramedics and secondary traumatic stress in their partners, with the aim to develop and evaluate an intervention to reduce their prevalence and burden amongst these essential workers.

This research will improve organisational understanding of the burden critical incidence stress and secondary traumatic stress have on paramedics and their partners. This research will assist organisations in the development and implementation of effective, person-centered approaches to reducing the prevalence and burden of secondary traumatic stress in partners of Critical Care Paramedics. It is crucial that we provide effective support to those so often required to support our paramedics, their partners. Organisations that can achieve this has the potential to increase the availability of support networks for their paramedics, improve their couple relationships, and reduce critical incident stress and burnout.