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Protecting the Mental Health of First Responders: Legal and Ethical Considerations

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2021

Lainie Rutkow ,
Lance Gable  and
Jonathan M. Links
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Extract

The public safety, human services, health, and relief workers who comprise the first wave of a response to natural or man-made disasters play a critical role in emergency preparedness. These first responders provide care and services in the immediate aftermath of emergencies and may remain in affected communities for weeks or months. They often work long hours under stressful conditions, witnessing the human harms, physical destruction, and psychological devastation that can accompany disasters.

Type
JLME Supplement
Information
Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics , Volume 39 , Issue S1 , Spring 2011 , pp. 56 - 59
Copyright
Copyright © American Society of Law, Medicine and Ethics 2011

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