Dr. Susan Mason Publishes Research on Trauma and First Responders

Dr. Susan Mason, professor of psychology, and Niagara University alumna Elle Schultz, '24, co-authored an article in Social Work in Mental Health titled "Post-Traumatic Stress and Coping Strategies in First Responders."

The research examined a cohort of first responders to assess the prevalence of post-traumatic stress in the group and to determine the strategies that first responders utilize to cope with the stress they experience. The results revealed a low rate of post-traumatic stress disorder in the sample and suggested that many of the responders seem to lack knowledge of the most effective ways to work through the stress they have been under.

Based on the findings, the researchers recommended that full- and part-time first responders be educated about adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies, and that future research assess the effectiveness of newer approaches in helping them cope with traumatic events.

Dr. Mason joined the Niagara University psychology faculty in September 1979. She has published articles on a wide variety of topics including statistics education, mental imagery, age differences in the use and effectiveness of various mnemonic techniques, memory for names and faces, visual search, time perception, attitudes toward the elderly, stereotypes, emotional well-being, cross-cultural gerontology, environmental concerns, active learning, and collaborative learning.

Dr. Mason holds both a Ph.D. and an M.S. in experimental psychology with a minor in mathematics from the Georgia Institute of Technology, and a B.S. in mathematics and psychology with a minor in education from Dickinson College.