PROPUBLICA Expose Corruption. Defend Truth. Support Investigative Journalism.
DONATE
Skip to content
ProPublica Donate
ProPublica Donate
Health Care

Trauma After Tragedy

PTSD in First Responders

Whether it’s called shell shock or combat fatigue, there has long been a recognized link between war and the symptoms we now call PTSD, such as reliving an event through flashbacks and nightmares. That broad recognition often isn’t there for police officers and firefighters — even as more mass shootings bring the scenes of war to U.S. soil.