Post-Traumatic Growth in Response to Occupational Stress among Firefighters in Iran: A Qualitative Research
Abstract
Firefighters are more facing to stressful situation than many other occupations. The purpose of this study was to investigate the way of firefighters’ respond to occupational stress, and to create a theoretical model for this response regarding the Iranian culture. In this qualitative study, grounded theory with a Glaser approach was applied. A purposeful sampling method was carried out on 28 firefighters at one of the major firehouses in Tehran. After collecting the data and identifying the pattern, the final result was re-backed to participants to redesign a pattern with minor refinements. The results showed that firefighters experience both stress and post-traumatic growth. These two phenomena compete with each other and the outcomes that the individual experiences are the result of this competition. When an individual selects a passive reaction, post-traumatic stress will be overcome, and post-traumatic growth will be prevailing when he tries to change the situations and negative emotions effortful. Interpersonal, cultural and organizational factors play an important role in overcoming stress or post-traumatic growth in firefighters. By designing interventions, this group can be guided to personal growth
1. Dobson M, Choi B, Schnall PL, Wigger E, Garcia‐Rivas J, Israel L, Baker DB. Exploring occupational and health behavioral causes of firefighter obesity: a qualitative study. American journal of industrial medicine. 2013; 56(7): 776-90.
2. Kim JI, Park H, Kim JH. The mediation effect of PTSD, perceived job stress and resilience on the relationship between trauma exposure and the development of depression and alcohol use problems in Korean firefighters: A cross-sectional study. Journal of affective disorders. 2018; 229: 450-5.
3. Paulus DJ, Gallagher MW, Bartlett BA, Tran J, Vujanovic AA. The unique and interactive effects of anxiety sensitivity and emotion dysregulation in relation to posttraumatic stress, depressive, and anxiety symptoms among trauma-exposed firefighters. Comprehensive psychiatry. 2018; 84:54-61.
4. Svensson A, Österberg SA, Fridlund B, Stening K, Elmqvist C. Firefighters as first incident persons: Breaking the chain of events and becoming a new link in the chain of survival. International Journal of Emergency Services. 2018; 7(2):120-33.
5. Jo I, Lee S, Sung G, Kim M, Lee S, Park J, Lee K. Relationship between burnout and PTSD symptoms in firefighters: the moderating effects of a sense of calling to firefighting. International archives of occupational and environmental health. 2018; 91(1):117-23.
6. O’Neill OA, Rothbard NP. Is Love All You Need? The Effects of Emotional Culture, Suppression, and Work–family Conflict on Firefighter Risk-Taking and Health. Academy of Management Journal. 2017; 60(1):78-108.
7. Jahnke SA, Gist R, Poston WS, Haddock CK. Behavioral health interventions in the fire service: Stories from the firehouse. Journal of workplace behavioral health. 2014; 29(2):113-26.
8. Jahnke SA, Poston WS, Haddock CK, Murphy B. Firefighting and mental health: Experiences of repeated exposure to trauma. Work. 2016; 53(4):737-44.
9. Sanford K, Kruse MI, Proctor A, Torres VA, Pennington ML, Synett SJ, Gulliver SB. Couple resilience and life wellbeing in firefighters. The Journal of Positive Psychology. 2017: 1-7.
10. Hiba M, Praile H, Saplot DM, Sayson A, Tingson JS, Vicente MJ. Experiences of Stresses and Coping Strategies among Firefighters in Cagayan de Oro City. Advancing Criminal Justice Research. 2014; 4(1).
11. Kwak M, Bae J. Posttraumatic growth and related factors in firefighters. Journal of Korean Academy of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing. 2017; 26(2):124-33.
12. Glaser BG, Strauss AL. Discovery of grounded theory: Strategies for qualitative research. Routledge; 2017 Jul 5.
13. Schwandt TA, Lincoln YS, Guba EG. Judging interpretations: But is it rigorous? Trustworthiness and authenticity in naturalistic evaluation. New directions for evaluation. 2007 Jun;2007(114):11-25.
14. Ha J, Kim DI, Seo BS, Kim WS, Ryu S, Kim SG. Job stress and psychosocial stress among firefighters. Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 2008 Jun 1;20(2):104-11.
15. Useem M, Cook JR, Sutton L. Developing leaders for decision making under stress: Wildland firefighters in the South Canyon Fire and its aftermath. Academy of Management Learning & Education. 2005 Dec 1;4(4):461-85.
16. O’Neill OA, Rothbard NP. Is love all you need? The effects of emotional culture, suppression, and work–family conflict on firefighter risk-taking and health. Academy of Management Journal. 2017 Feb;60(1):78-108.
17. Armstrong D, Shakespeare‐Finch J, Shochet I. Predicting post‐traumatic growth and post‐traumatic stress in firefighters. Australian Journal of Psychology. 2014 Mar;66(1):38-46.
18. Ogińska-Bulik N. Negative and positive effects of traumatic experiences in a group of emergency service workers: the role of personal and social resources. Med Pr. 2013 Jan 1;64(4):463-72.
19. Markham, R. L., Tiffan, N. M., Kuhlwein, L. A., & Gibbs, H. M. (2016). The Experiences of Being a Full-Time Firefighter: A Qualitative Study.
20. Corrigan M, McWilliams R, Kelly KJ, Niles J, Cammarata C, Jones K, Wartenberg D, Hallman WK, Kipen HM, Glass L, Schorr JK. A computerized, self-administered questionnaire to evaluate posttraumatic stress among firefighters after the World Trade Center collapse. American journal of public health. 2009 Nov;99(S3):S702-9.
21. Jahnke, S. A., Poston, W. S., Haddock, C. K., & Murphy, B. (2016). Firefighting and mental health: Experiences of repeated exposure to trauma. Work, 53, 737–744.
22. Zhang W, Yan TT, Barriball KL, While AE, Liu XH. Post-traumatic growth in mothers of children with autism: A phenomenological study. Autism. 2015 Jan;19(1):29-37.
23. Mehrabi E, Hajian S, Simbar M, Houshyari M, Zayeri F. Post-traumatic growth: a qualitative analysis of experiences regarding positive psychological changes among Iranian women with breast cancer. Electronic physician. 2015 Sep;7(5):1239.
24. Karagiorgou O, Evans JJ, Cullen B. Post-traumatic growth in adult survivors of brain injury: a qualitative study of participants completing a pilot trial of brief positive psychotherapy. Disability and rehabilitation. 2018 Mar 13;40(6):655-9.
25. Hundt NE, Smith TL, Fortney JC, Cully JA, Stanley MA. A qualitative study of veterans' mixed emotional reactions to receiving a PTSD diagnosis. Psychological services. 2018 Jul.
2. Kim JI, Park H, Kim JH. The mediation effect of PTSD, perceived job stress and resilience on the relationship between trauma exposure and the development of depression and alcohol use problems in Korean firefighters: A cross-sectional study. Journal of affective disorders. 2018; 229: 450-5.
3. Paulus DJ, Gallagher MW, Bartlett BA, Tran J, Vujanovic AA. The unique and interactive effects of anxiety sensitivity and emotion dysregulation in relation to posttraumatic stress, depressive, and anxiety symptoms among trauma-exposed firefighters. Comprehensive psychiatry. 2018; 84:54-61.
4. Svensson A, Österberg SA, Fridlund B, Stening K, Elmqvist C. Firefighters as first incident persons: Breaking the chain of events and becoming a new link in the chain of survival. International Journal of Emergency Services. 2018; 7(2):120-33.
5. Jo I, Lee S, Sung G, Kim M, Lee S, Park J, Lee K. Relationship between burnout and PTSD symptoms in firefighters: the moderating effects of a sense of calling to firefighting. International archives of occupational and environmental health. 2018; 91(1):117-23.
6. O’Neill OA, Rothbard NP. Is Love All You Need? The Effects of Emotional Culture, Suppression, and Work–family Conflict on Firefighter Risk-Taking and Health. Academy of Management Journal. 2017; 60(1):78-108.
7. Jahnke SA, Gist R, Poston WS, Haddock CK. Behavioral health interventions in the fire service: Stories from the firehouse. Journal of workplace behavioral health. 2014; 29(2):113-26.
8. Jahnke SA, Poston WS, Haddock CK, Murphy B. Firefighting and mental health: Experiences of repeated exposure to trauma. Work. 2016; 53(4):737-44.
9. Sanford K, Kruse MI, Proctor A, Torres VA, Pennington ML, Synett SJ, Gulliver SB. Couple resilience and life wellbeing in firefighters. The Journal of Positive Psychology. 2017: 1-7.
10. Hiba M, Praile H, Saplot DM, Sayson A, Tingson JS, Vicente MJ. Experiences of Stresses and Coping Strategies among Firefighters in Cagayan de Oro City. Advancing Criminal Justice Research. 2014; 4(1).
11. Kwak M, Bae J. Posttraumatic growth and related factors in firefighters. Journal of Korean Academy of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing. 2017; 26(2):124-33.
12. Glaser BG, Strauss AL. Discovery of grounded theory: Strategies for qualitative research. Routledge; 2017 Jul 5.
13. Schwandt TA, Lincoln YS, Guba EG. Judging interpretations: But is it rigorous? Trustworthiness and authenticity in naturalistic evaluation. New directions for evaluation. 2007 Jun;2007(114):11-25.
14. Ha J, Kim DI, Seo BS, Kim WS, Ryu S, Kim SG. Job stress and psychosocial stress among firefighters. Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 2008 Jun 1;20(2):104-11.
15. Useem M, Cook JR, Sutton L. Developing leaders for decision making under stress: Wildland firefighters in the South Canyon Fire and its aftermath. Academy of Management Learning & Education. 2005 Dec 1;4(4):461-85.
16. O’Neill OA, Rothbard NP. Is love all you need? The effects of emotional culture, suppression, and work–family conflict on firefighter risk-taking and health. Academy of Management Journal. 2017 Feb;60(1):78-108.
17. Armstrong D, Shakespeare‐Finch J, Shochet I. Predicting post‐traumatic growth and post‐traumatic stress in firefighters. Australian Journal of Psychology. 2014 Mar;66(1):38-46.
18. Ogińska-Bulik N. Negative and positive effects of traumatic experiences in a group of emergency service workers: the role of personal and social resources. Med Pr. 2013 Jan 1;64(4):463-72.
19. Markham, R. L., Tiffan, N. M., Kuhlwein, L. A., & Gibbs, H. M. (2016). The Experiences of Being a Full-Time Firefighter: A Qualitative Study.
20. Corrigan M, McWilliams R, Kelly KJ, Niles J, Cammarata C, Jones K, Wartenberg D, Hallman WK, Kipen HM, Glass L, Schorr JK. A computerized, self-administered questionnaire to evaluate posttraumatic stress among firefighters after the World Trade Center collapse. American journal of public health. 2009 Nov;99(S3):S702-9.
21. Jahnke, S. A., Poston, W. S., Haddock, C. K., & Murphy, B. (2016). Firefighting and mental health: Experiences of repeated exposure to trauma. Work, 53, 737–744.
22. Zhang W, Yan TT, Barriball KL, While AE, Liu XH. Post-traumatic growth in mothers of children with autism: A phenomenological study. Autism. 2015 Jan;19(1):29-37.
23. Mehrabi E, Hajian S, Simbar M, Houshyari M, Zayeri F. Post-traumatic growth: a qualitative analysis of experiences regarding positive psychological changes among Iranian women with breast cancer. Electronic physician. 2015 Sep;7(5):1239.
24. Karagiorgou O, Evans JJ, Cullen B. Post-traumatic growth in adult survivors of brain injury: a qualitative study of participants completing a pilot trial of brief positive psychotherapy. Disability and rehabilitation. 2018 Mar 13;40(6):655-9.
25. Hundt NE, Smith TL, Fortney JC, Cully JA, Stanley MA. A qualitative study of veterans' mixed emotional reactions to receiving a PTSD diagnosis. Psychological services. 2018 Jul.
| Files | ||
| Issue | Vol 11 No 1 (2019) | |
| Section | Original Article(s) | |
| Published | 2019-03-03 | |
| Keywords | ||
| firefighter post-traumatic stress post-traumatic growth coping style occupation stress. | ||
| Rights and permissions | |
|
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. |
How to Cite
1.
Firoozi M. Post-Traumatic Growth in Response to Occupational Stress among Firefighters in Iran: A Qualitative Research. Int J Occup Hyg. 2019;11(1):9-20.
