OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of positive psychological characteristics on posttraumatic stress symptoms after traumatic experiences. METHODS: The subjects were 97 firefighters (83 males and 14 females), who completed the Life Events Scale, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and the Impact of Event Scale-Revised Korean version. Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients were computed to examine the relationships among the variables, and Structural Equation Modeling was used to investigate the mediation process in the relationships among traumatic experiences, positive psychological characteristics, and posttraumatic stress. RESULTS: The results showed that self-esteem had a mediating effect on the relationship between traumatic experiences and posttraumatic stress symptoms. Traumatic experiences affected posttraumatic stress symptoms not only directly, but also through self-esteem to posttraumatic stress symptoms. Therefore the lower firefighters' self-esteem was, the more posttraumatic stress symptoms occurred. Resilience, however, apparently had no function as mediating variable in the relationship between traumatic experiences and posttraumatic stress symptoms. Traumatic experiences and resilience each seemed to affect posttraumatic stress symptoms directly. Hence, the lower firefighters' resilience was, the more posttraumatic stress symptoms occurred. CONCLUSION: This study showed that self-esteem had a mediating effect on the relationship between traumatic experiences and posttraumatic stress symptoms. We also found that resilience affects posttraumatic stress symptoms directly, regardless of the number of traumatic experiences. Likewise, these results showed that we should be concerned in positive psychological characteristics such as self-esteem and resilience in order to prevent posttraumatic stress symptoms.
Firefighters ; Humans ; Male ; Negotiating

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the effects of resilience on posttraumatic stress symptoms and dissociation and whether depression mediates the relationships between resilience and posttraumatic stress symptoms and dissociation. METHODS: A total of 115 firefighters participated in the study. Data were collected via the Life Events Checklist, Impact of Event Scale-Revised, Dissociative Experience Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale. Structural equation modeling and path analysis were applied to estimate the relationships between resilience, depression, posttraumatic stress symptoms, and dissociation. RESULTS: Greater resilience was associated with lower posttraumatic stress symptoms and dissociation, and the relationship between them was fully mediated by depression. CONCLUSIONS: Specific aspects of depression may help explain the relationships between resilience and posttraumatic stress symptoms and dissociation. Tailored prevention programs and treatments based on resilience and depression may prevent posttraumatic stress symptoms and dissociation in firefighters and improve treatments outcomes among firefighters with posttraumatic stress symptoms and/or dissociation.
Checklist ; Depression* ; Firefighters* ; Humans

firefighters.MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data were obtained from the Firefighter Research: Enhancement of Safety & Health (FRESH) Study, which was designed to investigate the effects of job characteristics on mental and physical health among Korean firefighters. A total of 18101 firefighters were chosen from a nationwide sample. The Korean Emotional Labor Scale (K-ELS) was used to evaluate exposure to emotional labor, which consisted of five sub-factors: emotional demand and regulation, overload and conflict in customer service, emotional disharmony and hurt, organizational surveillance and monitoring, and lack of a supportive and protective system in the organization.RESULTS: Firefighters who were in the risk group were more likely to experience suicidal ideation than those in the normal group for each of the five sub-scales of emotional labor. The estimated mean values for suicidal ideation in the risk group were significantly higher than those in the normal group: 1.667 (95% CI: 1.344–2.069) for emotional demand and regulation, 1.590 (95% CI: 1.243–2.033) for overload and conflict in customer service, 2.409 (95% CI: 1.954–2.969) for emotional disharmony and hurt, 2.214 (95% CI: 1.832–2.676) for organizational surveillance and monitoring, and 1.665 (95% CI: 1.387–1.999) for lack of a supportive and protective system in the organization.CONCLUSION: These results suggest that experience and exposure to chronic and excessive emotional labor might play a crucial role in the development of suicidal ideation among firefighters.]]>
Firefighters ; Humans ; Suicidal Ideation

BACKGROUND: This cross-sectional study assessed the sleep quality using the ActiGraph and investigated the relationship between the parameters of sleep assessment and the type of shift work in Korean firefighters. METHODS: The participants were 359 firefighters: 65 day workers (control group) and 294 shift workers (shift work group: 77 firefighters with 3-day shift, 72 firefighters with 6-day shift, 65 firefighters with 9-day shift, and 80 firefighters with 21-day shift). Sleep assessments were performed using the ActiGraph (wGT3X-BT) for 24 hours during day shift (control and shift work group) and night shift and rest day (shift work group). The participants recorded bed time and sleep hours during the measurement period. RESULTS: Sleep efficiency, total sleep time, and percentage of wake after sleep onset during night work were lower in the shift work group than control group (p < 0.05). Sleep efficiency decreased in night shift and increased in rest day, whereas wake after sleep onset increased in night shift and decreased in rest day (p < 0.05). Among shift work groups, sleep efficiency of 6-day shift was higher in day shift, and sleep efficiency of 21-day shift was lower in night shift than other shift groups (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: We found that the sleep quality in night shift of the shift work group was poorer than the control group. As to the type of shift work, sleep quality was good in 6-day shift and poor in 21-day shift. Thus, fast rotating shift such as 6-day shift may be recommended to improve the sleep quality of the firefighters.
Cross-Sectional Studies ; Firefighters ; Humans

PURPOSE: Firefighters are exposed to high levels of occupational risk factors, such as safety risks, chemical, ergonomic, and physical hazards that may jeopardize their lives. To overcome these hazards, firefighters must be physically, mentally, and personally fit to work. This study aimed to explore the criteria and factors affecting firefighters' resilience based on stakeholders' experiences. METHODS: This qualitative study was carried out using conventional content analysis. In total, 21 face-to-face interviews were conducted by firefighters who were experienced in the field. The interviews were carried out from July 2019 to January 2020. The data were collected using 3 unstructured interviews and then resumed by 18 semi-structured interviews. Data analysis was done using Graneheim method. RESULTS: The participants had more than 5 years of experience in the field of search and rescue. The extracted codes through data analysis were classified into 3 main categories (individual, organizational, and social factors), 9 sub-categories (mental, physical, occupational, managerial, colleagues-related, equipment-related, environmental, community-related, and family-related factors), as well as 19 sub-sub-categories and 570 codes. CONCLUSION Firefighters' personality, physical condition, behavior and psychological characteristics can affect their resilience along with organizational and management factors that play significant role in people's safety. Developing a tool for assessing resilience can help decision makers to have a real depict of firefighters' job qualifications.
Firefighters/psychology* ; Humans ; Qualitative Research

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the relationship between job stress and depressive symptoms among field firefighters. METHODS: We carried out a survey of 17,457 field firefighters using the KOSS-24 (Korean Occupational Stress Scales-24) and CES-D (Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale). RESULTS: The mean CES-D score was 12.2+/-9.6 and 19.2% of subjects had depressive symptoms. Job insecurity (OR=2.70, 95% CI=2.45~2.98) and lack of reward (OR=2.41, 95% CI=2.18~2.65), occupational climate (OR=2.38, 95% CI=2.15~2.63) were strongly associated with depressive symptoms. Job demand (OR=1.89, 95% CI=1.69~2.10), insufficient job control (OR=1.14, 95% CI=1.03~1.25), interpersonal conflict (OR=2.05, 95% CI=1.87~2.26) and organizational system (OR=1.83, 95% CI=1.66~2.02) were also significantly associated with depressive symptoms. Alcohol dependence had a stronger association than with normal subjects (OR=2.39, 95% CI=2.07~2.77). CONCLUSIONS: In field firefighters, job stress factors and alcohol dependence were associated with depressive symptoms. An intervention to reduce job stress and alcohol among field firefighters is needed to reduce depression in this population.
Alcoholism ; Climate ; Depression ; Firefighters ; Humans ; Reward

OBJECTIVES: This study was performed to assess the level of job and psychosocial stresses in Korean firefighters, and to evaluate the determinants of psychosocial stress. METHODS: The study subjects comprised 1,712 male firefighters working in Seoul, Busan, and Kyungnam in 2006. We collected information about demographic and job-related characteristics, healthrelated behaviors, Korean Occupational Stress Scale (KOSS), and psychosocial Well-being Index (PWI) through self-administered questionnaires. Statistical analyses were done by using the chi-square-test and logistic regression model. RESULTS: The multiple logistic regression analyses indicated that the proportion of high-risk psychosocial stress is significantly higher in the groups with high job stress level in 'lack of rewards' (OR=2.90, 95% CI=2.18-3.85), 'occupational climate' (OR=1.92, 95% CI=1.47-2.51), 'job demand' (OR=1.72, 95% CI=1.32-2.23), 'job insecurity' (OR=1.53, 95% CI=1.17-2.01), 'interpersonal conflict' (OR=1.53, 95% CI=1.16-2.01), 'physical environment' (OR=1.45, 95% CI=1.11-1.89), and 'organizational injustice' (OR=1.38, 95% CI=1.04-1.85). CONCLUSIONS: Psychosocial stress might be adversely influenced by job stressors for the most part. Firefighters need job stress management to minimize their psychological problems.
Firefighters ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Questionnaires

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate job stress, coping type, and job satisfaction in firefighters. METHODS: It was a descriptive study, and 114 subjects were recruited during July to August, 2014. The data were analyzed by t-test, ANOVA (Sheffe's test), and Pearson's correlation coefficient using SPSS/WIN 22.0. RESULTS: The job stress level of subjects was 47.45, coping type was 2.38 and the level of subjects' job satisfaction was 2.97. The job satisfaction was very closely negatively correlated with the job stress (r=-.66, p<.001). CONCLUSION: These results may contribute to better understanding of stress degree, coping type, and job satisfaction in firefighters. Further follow-up study on firefighters is necessary to relieve their job stress and increase active coping type.
Firefighters* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Job Satisfaction*

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to identify factors which influence mental health of firefighters. METHODS: Participants in this study were firefighters from D city who were doing activities like extinguishing fire or rescuing sufferer at fire or accident scenes. A survey was conducted from September 14 to 24, 2010. Research tools were perception of job stress, problems-focused coping, seeking social support, emotion-focused coping, and wishful thinking coping which are sub-domain of coping stress, and SCL-90-R. Data were analyzed using SPSS/WIN 14.0, and included t-test, one-way ANOVA, and Scheffe back-testing. Pearson's correlation coefficient and stepwise multiple regression were also conducted to identify factors influencing mental health. RESULTS: Mental health was positively correlated with perception of job stress, emotion-focused coping, and wishful thinking coping. Effective variables were perception of job stress (beta=.38, p<.001), emotion-focused coping (beta=.28, p<.001), and problemfocused coping (beta=-.15, p=.012). These variables explained 26% of the variance in mental health. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that improvements in problem-focused coping and decreases in perception of job stress and emotion-focused coping are important in promoting the mental health of firefighters.
Firefighters* ; Fires ; Humans ; Mental Health* ; Thinking

BACKGROUND: Emergency workers such as firefighters are cataloged within the most demanding and injurious professions globally. Considering the health and safety implications in firefighting, a lot of research needs to be conducted to examine how firefighters' task characteristics and their work demand influence the development of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). This study therefore examines how the task characteristics of firefighters moderates the relationship between their work demand and the development of WMSDs. METHODS: Convenient sampling was employed to select 320 firefighters in the Greater Accra region of Ghana. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation, and regression. RESULTS: The findings revealed that work demand and task characteristics have significant positive effects on WMSDs. Again, the task characteristics of firefighters moderates the relationship between their work demand and WMSDs. CONCLUSION: Since the study shows that task characteristics influences the relationship between work demand and WMSDs, it is vital for managers to constantly modify the nature of tasks performed by and work demand of emergency workers to minimize the development of WMSDs and other industrial health complications.
Emergencies ; Firefighters ; Ghana ; Humans ; Occupational Health