Coping strategiesand post-traumatic growth in paramedics: Moderatingeffectofspecific self-efficacy and positive/negativeaffectivity

Abstract

The aim of the study was to identify relations between coping strategies applied in a situation of confrontation with stressful situation and post-traumatic growth (PTG) in the group of paramedics, and to analyze moderating effects of specific self-efficacy and affectivity. Sample: 62 paramedics, between age 21-53 (M = 35.91, SD = 8.97). Methods: Posttraumatic Growth Inventory PTGI (Tedeschi &Calhoun, 1996); Multidimensional coping inventory, COPE (Carver, Scheier, &Weintraub, 1989); The General Self-Efficacy Scale, GSES (Jerusalem &Schwarzer, 1981); Positive and Negative Affect Scale, PANAS (Watson, Clark, &Tellegen, 1988). Results: Rate of the total PTG in the sample indicates the presence of PTG at the average. We found positive relations between coping strategies: active coping, planning, suppression of competing activities, restraint coping, seeking social support-instrumental, use of emotional social support, religious coping, focus on and venting of emotions, behavioral disengagement, substance abuse (smoking) and PTG; we identified moderation effects of self-efficacy and positive affectivity on the relation between coping and PTG.