Psychosocial Factors Distinguishing Super-Responders from Less-Active Lay First Responders in Bombali District, Sierra Leone

This research investigates the psychosocial characteristics that distinguish highly active super-responders from less-active lay first responders (LFRs) in Bombali District, Sierra Leone. LFRs are community members trained to provide basic emergency care in locations that lack formal emergency services. While many LFRs complete training, only a subset consistently engage in emergency response. The goal of this study is to understand what drives this variability in engagement, with the goal of improving recruitment, training, and support strategies for future LFR programs.This research investigates the psychosocial characteristics that distinguish highly active super-responders from less-active lay first responders (LFRs) in Bombali District, Sierra Leone. LFRs are community members trained to provide basic emergency care in locations that lack formal emergency services. While many LFRs complete training, only a subset consistently engage in emergency response. Previous research has shown that the top quartile of LFRs are responsible for the vast majority of responses. The goal of this study is to understand what psychosocial traits differentiate these super-responders, with the goal of improving recruitment, training, and support strategies for future LFR programs. Using a mixed-methods design, the study combines quantitative survey data measuring factors such as altruism, personal values, risk-perception, and social influences with qualitative interviews to explore motivations, barriers, and experiences. Survey data will be analyzed using R, and qualitative data will be coded thematically using NVivo. The outcomes we expect to find are key motivators and deterrents of LFR activity, as well as recommendations for program design tailored to maximize responder engagement in low-resource settings.