The Association of Alcohol Problems with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms, Psychological Hardiness and the Ways of Coping in Firefighters / 신경정신의학

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the association between alcohol problems and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, psychological hardiness, and coping mechanisms in firefighters. METHODS: We conducted an e-mail survey of 131 firefighters who were working at the two fire department stations in Gyeonggido, receiving replies from 96. Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT), Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), Hardiness Scale, and The Ways of Coping Checklist were used to collect the data. We divided the subjects into three drinking groups per their AUDIT scores social, problem, and abuse drinking groups and compared PTSD symptoms, psychological hardiness, and coping strategies among the groups. RESULTS: Of the 96 firefighters, 73 (76.1%), 11 (11.4%), and 12 (11.4%) belonged to the social, problem, and abuse drinking groups, respectively. Control, one component of psychological hardiness, was significantly lower in the abuse drinking group. However, IES-R scores and four subscales of the Ways of Coping Checklist did not vary significantly among the groups. CONCLUSION: These results suggest an approach focused on psychological hardiness should show a preventive effect with regard to firefighters' alcohol problems.