Bridget Freisthler

Critical incident stress debriefing (CISD) is a commonly utilized intervention in the fire service that aims to minimize psychological harm and adverse mental health outcomes after a potentially traumatic incident. This study aimed to explore firefighter preferences regarding CISD and alternative post–critical incident interventions in relation to firefighter coping self‐efficacy (FFCSE) and trauma coping self‐efficacy (CSE‐T). Firefighters ( N = 241) completed an online survey and provided complete data. Most participants were White ( n = 203, 84.2%), non‐Hispanic ( n = 221, 91.7%) men (94.2%; n = 227). CISD was the most preferred intervention among firefighters ( n = 113, 46.9%) as compared to informal peer support ( n = 31, 12.9%), formal one‐on‐one counseling ( n = 29, 12.0%), and no intervention ( n = 68, 28.2%). Firefighters who preferred CISD had statistically significant lower levels of FFCSE, R 2 = .033–.044, p s = .012–.030, and CSE‐T, R 2 = .035–.061 p s = .017–.024, compared to those who preferred no intervention. Firefighters who preferred formal one‐on‐one counseling had statistically significantly lower levels of FFCSE, R 2 = .033–.044, p s = .003–.011, and CSE‐T, R 2 = .035–0.061, p < .001– p = .002, compared to those who preferred no intervention. The findings from this study may guide future research to increase knowledge on firefighter intervention preferences and the association between preference and coping self‐efficacy.

Reports of child maltreatment vary by neighborhood characteristics, yet the influence of housing affordability is less understood. The current study examines the relationship between reports of suspected child maltreatment and the spatial distribution of affordable housing across 2,341 census tracts in Los Angeles County, California. Bayesian conditionally autoregressive model results indicate that neighborhoods where residents paid a greater share of their income in rent had fewer reports of suspected child maltreatment, while neighborhoods with a higher number of subsidized rental units had more reports. These findings suggest that higher cost neighborhoods provide supportive resources and amenities to families which may reduce risk of child maltreatment. Subsidized housing units are more likely to be located in high poverty, under resourced neighborhoods, thus undermining the benefits of these programs to families. These findings have implications for equitable housing policy that promotes inclusive communities as a primary prevention strategy for child maltreatment.