Higher sense of coherence is associated with better mental and physical health in emergency medical services : results from investigations on the revised sense of coherence scale (SOC-R) in rescue workers

Behnke, Alexander; Conrad, Daniela; Kolassa, Iris-Tatjana; Rojas, Roberto

Higher sense of coherence is associated with better mental and physical health in emergency medical services : results from investigations on the revised sense of coherence scale (SOC-R) in rescue workers

Files

Behnke_2-arm6hhj5rl189.pdf(1.53 MB)

Date

2019

Authors

Behnke, Alexander

Conrad, Daniela

Kolassa, Iris-Tatjana

Rojas, Roberto

Title in another language

Un mayor sentido de coherencia se asocia con una mejor salud mental y física en los servicios médicos de emergencia : Resultados de investigaciones sobre la Escala del Sentido de Coherencia Revisada (SOC-R) en trabajadores de rescate

Publication type

Journal article

Publication status

Published

Published in

European Journal of Psychotraumatology ; 10 (2019), 1. - 1606628. - ISSN 2000-8198. - eISSN 2000-8066

Abstract

As rescue workers are regularly confronted with potentially traumatising on-duty events, they have an increased risk to develop trauma-related mental and physical health impairments, including post-traumatic, depressive, and somatic symptoms. For this high-risk group, it could be of particular importance to experience their occupational burden as manageable, meaningful, and coherent. This mindset – called sense of coherence – may be a potential resilience factor against the development of mental and physical health problems. In a cross-sectional cohort of 102 rescue workers (Mdn(QD)_age = 26.0 (8.5), age range: 18−61), including 36 women, we investigated whether higher values on the Revised Sense of Coherence Scale (SOC-R) predicted lower post-traumatic, depressive, and somatic symptoms. In addition, we evaluated the factor structure of the SOC-R using confirmatory factor analyses. Linear regressions indicated that higher SOC-R, but particularly manageability scores were associated with less post-traumatic (β = −.31, p = .009), depressive (β = −.44, p < .001), and somatic symptoms (β = −.36, p = .002). Furthermore, we found that all symptom scores significantly increased with occupational and private-life trauma exposure. The SOC-R’s factor structure was replicated, comprising the three subscales manageability, reflection, and balance. However, the SOC-R’s convergent factor validity was rather low in the present sample. Taken together, a high sense of coherence, and in particular a high manageability conviction, was observed as resilience factors for high-risk groups that are frequently exposed to potentially traumatic events. Future studies might investigate whether strengthening the sense of coherence could be one building block in an effective prevention program for maintaining long-term health in risk groups.

Summary in another language

Debido a que los trabajadores de rescate se enfrentan regularmente con eventos laborales potencialmente traumatizantes, presentan un mayor riesgo de desarrollar trastornos mentales y físicos relacionados con el trauma, incluyendo síntomas postraumáticos, depresivos y somáticos. Para este grupo de alto riesgo sería importante el experimentar su trabajo como manejable, significativo y coherente. Esta perspectiva —llamada sentido de coherencia— podría ser un factor potencial de resiliencia en contra del desarrollo de problemas mentales y físicos. En una cohorte transversal con 102 trabajadores de rescate (Mdn(QD)_edad = 26.0 (8.5), rango de edad: 18-61), de los cuáles 36 eran mujeres, investigamos si los valores más altos en la Escala del Sentido de Coherencia Revisada (SOC-R) predijeron menos síntomas postraumáticos, depresivos y somáticos. Además, evaluamos la estructura factorial del SOC-R mediante análisis factoriales confirmatorios. Las regresiones lineales indicaron que las puntuaciones más altas del SOC-R, pero particularmente la capacidad de menejabilidad, se asociaron con menos síntomas postraumáticos (β = −.31, p = .009), depresivos (β = −.44, p <.001) y somáticos (β = −.36, p = .002). Además, encontramos que a mayor la exposición con traumas laborales y privados los puntajes de estos síntomas aumentaron significativamente. La estructura factorial del SOC-R se replicó con sus tres subescalas manejabilidad, reflexión y equilibrio. Sin embargo, la validez del factor convergente del SOC-R era menor en la presente muestra. En general, se observó que un alto sentido de coherencia y, en particular una alta manejabilidad, funcionan como factores de resiliencia en grupos de alto riesgo que con frecuencia están expuestos a eventos potencialmente traumáticos. Estudios futuros deberían investigar si el fortalecimiento del sentido de coherencia podría ser un componente básico en un programa de prevención eficaz para mantener la salud a largo plazo en grupos de riesgo.

Subject (DDC)

150 Psychology

Keywords

Revised sense of coherence scale (SOC-R), resilience, PTSD, depression, somatic symptoms, emergency medical service, occupational stress and health, paramedics, ambulance workers, first responders

Cite This

ISO 690

BEHNKE, Alexander, Daniela CONRAD, Iris-Tatjana KOLASSA, Roberto ROJAS, 2019. Higher sense of coherence is associated with better mental and physical health in emergency medical services : results from investigations on the revised sense of coherence scale (SOC-R) in rescue workers. In: European Journal of Psychotraumatology. 10(1), 1606628. ISSN 2000-8198. eISSN 2000-8066. Available under: doi: 10.1080/20008198.2019.1606628

BibTex

@article{Behnke2019-05-20Highe-47067,
  year={2019},
  doi={10.1080/20008198.2019.1606628},
  title={Higher sense of coherence is associated with better mental and physical health in emergency medical services : results from investigations on the revised sense of coherence scale (SOC-R) in rescue workers},
  number={1},
  volume={10},
  issn={2000-8198},
  journal={European Journal of Psychotraumatology},
  author={Behnke, Alexander and Conrad, Daniela and Kolassa, Iris-Tatjana and Rojas, Roberto},
  note={Article Number: 1606628}
}

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Bibliography of Konstanz

No

Refereed

Yes