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Influence of Avoidant Coping on Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms and Job Burnout Among Firefighters: The Mediating Role of Perceived Social Support

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 June 2021

Yaru Chen ,
Xiaohui Li ,
Chen Chen ,
Yuanyuan An Open the ORCID record for Yuanyuan An [Opens in a new window] ,
Junyi Shi ,
Jiali Huang  and
Yuqing Zhao
Yaru Chen
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, PRChina
Xiaohui Li
Affiliation:
School of Family and Consumer Sciences, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
Chen Chen
Affiliation:
Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
Yuanyuan An*
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, PRChina
Junyi Shi
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, PRChina
Jiali Huang
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, PRChina
Yuqing Zhao
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, PRChina
*
Corresponding author: Yuanyuan An, Email: anran220@163.com.
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Abstract

Objective:

The study aims to explore the effects of avoidant coping on posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and job burnout among firefighters, and to examine the mediating role of perceived social support on the relationship between avoidant coping and PTSS and job burnout.

Method:

Assessments including the posttraumatic stress disorder checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), Maslach Burnout Inventory–General Survey (MBI-GS), Coping Style Inventory (CSI), and Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS) were conducted among 431 firefighters studying in a school specializing in training firemen in Nanjing, China.

Result:

The results show that: (1) Avoidant coping was positively related to PTSS and job burnout among firefighters; and (2) avoidant coping was positively related to PTSS and job burnout through the mediating effect of perceived social support.

Conclusion:

These findings not only provide guiding information for relevant departments to prevent mental health issues of firefighters in the future, but also enlighten the psychological intervention for firefighters, that is, to encourage firefighters to actively face and solve problems and adopt positive coping styles, as well as offer them more care and support whenever possible.

Keywords

avoidant copingfirefightersjob burnoutposttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS)social support
Type
Original Research
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 16 , Issue 4 , August 2022 , pp. 1476 - 1481
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc.

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