Advisor(s)

Cindy Cain

Committee Member(s)

David Rogers
David Warner
Laurence Boitet
Mieke Thomeer

Document Type

Dissertation

Date of Award

6-10-2026

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

School

College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Medical Sociology

Abstract

Emergency communication workers play a vital role in public safety and healthcare, but they are frequently an overlooked population when studying well-being. With a survey sample size of N=336, and an interview sample size of N=24, this dissertation utilizes a mixed-methods approach to explore what kind of factors influence dispatcher well-being. The mixed-methods findings lead to three important outcomes. First, there are detrimental consequences of shift work on dispatchers’ overall health. Second, dispatchers report high levels of emotional exhaustion, stress, and trauma exposure. The qualitative findings suggest that the rewards associated with helping people outweigh the mental health consequences. Lastly, dispatchers report low levels of organizational support. Together, these findings show that support and resources from the organization have long-term benefits on dispatcher well-being.

Keywords

Burnout;Emotional Labor;Health;Occupations;Organizational Support;Shift Work

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