An Overview of Mental Health Diagnoses for First Responders

Reviews the book, First responder's guide to abnormal psychology: Applications for police, firefighters and rescue personnel by William I. Dorfman and Lenore E. Walker (see record 2007-02883-000). This book presents the major mental health diagnostic categories for the nonpsychologist reader toward the goal of improving the interactions of first responders with individuals who may meet criteria for a mental health disorder. The stated goal of the book is to "enable our readers to perform their critical jobs more effectively, more sensitively, and with a fuller appreciation of the very debilitating role stress, trauma, and mental illness play in the lives of citizens they serve" (p. x). Dorfman and Walker devote much of the book to reviewing mental disorders, their etiology, and treatment as well as the mental health and legal systems that apply to many of the individuals having disorders. What is lacking in the book is the practical understanding of identifying and interacting with potentially unstable individuals, whether the instability is due to preexisting problems or a current maladaptive reaction to trauma, as well as building skills to mitigate traumatic material at the scene affecting victims and survivors. In summary, this book meets its goal of being a guide to abnormal psychology. The chapters related to the mental disorders and the legal system are thorough and easily readable. However, the book falls short of providing the means for first responders to apply this information. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)