Date of Conferral
2022
Degree
Ph.D.
School
Psychology
Advisor
Dr. Stephen Hampe
Abstract
Firefighters are often exposed to critical/traumatic incidents. Regular exposure to critical/traumatic incidents has the potential to cause negative psychological problems among this population, though there is also a likelihood that firefighters can experience a positive effect such as posttraumatic growth (PTG) as a result of critical incident exposure. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of PTG for urban firefighters following exposure to work-related traumatic events. The phenomenon of PTG provided the conceptual framework for the study. Data were collected from semistructured telephone interviews with eight urban firefighters. Findings from coding and thematic analysis revealed there were experiential differences between those who reported PTG and those who did not. Themes included maladaptive coping, adaptive coping, no PTG reported, PTG reported, and positive traits. Results showed that exercising positive coping mechanisms contributed to experiencing PTG. Results may be used to create positive social change through new programs or by improving existing programs to promote PTG among firefighters.
Recommended Citation
Smith, Deirdre, "Posttraumatic Growth Following Critical Incident Exposure for Urban Firefighters" (2022). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 13789.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/13789
