Association between resiliency and posttraumatic growth in firefighters: the role of stress appraisal. Issue 1 (2nd January 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ogińska-Bulik, Nina; Kobylarczyk, Magdalena
• Is Part Of: International journal of occupational safety and ergonomics. Volume 22:Issue 1(2016)
• Page Start: 40
• Page End: 48
• Publication Date: 2016-01-02
• Subjects: positive changes -- trauma -- posttraumatic growth -- resiliency -- firefighters; Human engineering -- Periodicals; Industrial safety -- Periodicals; Human Engineering -- Periodicals; Occupational Health -- Periodicals; Ergonomie -- Périodiques; Sécurité du travail -- Périodiques; Human engineering; Industrial safety; Periodicals; 620.8
• DOI: 10.1080/10803548.2015.1109372
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1080-3548

Abstract

Abstract : The purpose of this study was to establish the relation between resiliency and the level of positive changes, comprising posttraumatic growth in a group of firefighters experiencing job-related traumatic events and the mediating role of stress appraisal in this relation. The study was performed on a group of 100 firefighters from firefighting and rescue brigades, out of which 75 admitted to experiencing a traumatic event. Firefighters covered by the study were on average 31.51 years old ( SD = 6.34). A Polish version of Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, the Resiliency Assessment Scale and Stress Appraisal Questionnaire were used in the study. The results have shown that 22.7% of firefighters displayed low, 58.6% average and 18.7% high intensity of positive changes resulting from a traumatic event. Resiliency poorly correlates with posttraumatic growth expressed in changes in self-perception, and strongly correlates with stress appraisal, negatively correlates with threat and harm/loss and positively correlates with challenge. Appraisal of stress as a threat and challenge appeared to be mediators of the relationship between resiliency and posttraumatic growth.