Citation

Wagner SL, McFee JA, Martin CA. Traumatology 2009; 15(1): 75-84.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, Green Cross Academy of Traumatology, Publisher APA Journals)

DOI

10.1177/1534765608323441

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Male firefighters (n = 94) were compared with male workers (n = 91) from a variety of blue-collar, non—emergency service occupations. Responses on the World Assumptions Scale were examined in combination with the Impact of Events Scale—Revised and the Symptom Checklist-90. Initial hypotheses suggested that firefighters would report disrupted world assumptions and that these disrupted assumptions would be linked with greater mental health symptomatology. Results revealed that firefighters were not different from controls on world assumptions and that world assumptions were unrelated to years of service. These results suggest that the psychological reactions of workers exposed to high levels of job-related traumatic stress may not be consistent with that described in previous literature regarding primary victims. Consequently, it is suggested that more research is needed that specifically addresses psychological outcomes for firefighters and other high-trauma occupations. The findings also suggest that benevolence may be particularly important in relation to mental health in firefighters and that this belief may be useful in the prevention of posttraumatic symptomatology.