Protective factors of psychological vulnerability in Rescue 1122 workers with vicarious traumatization.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine the protective factors of psychological vulnerability in Rescue 1122 workers and to find out the difference in work mattering, coping, grittiness, and psychological vulnerability between rescue workers of fire service and ambulance service department with vicarious traumatization. METHOD: A cross-sectional design was used in this study. A sample of 112 male rescue workers was collected from Rescue 1122 department, including participants from the ambulance service (n = 56) and fire service (n = 56) departments through a purposive sampling technique. Rescue workers who experienced vicarious trauma were enrolled in this study after screening through the secondary traumatic stress tool. Work mattering scale, coping strategies questionnaire, short grit scale, and the four-dimensional symptom questionnaire were used. RESULTS: Age, marital status, spouse age, and father's age were significantly positively correlated with distress. Colleagues becoming a target of violence and death of a colleague during duty were significantly positively correlated with somatization. The number of children was a significant positive predictor, and members requiring financial support were a significant negative predictor of psychological vulnerability. Interpersonal mattering, active focused, and active distracting coping emerged as significant negative predictors of distress, anxiety, and depression after controlling for covariates. A significant difference was found in active distraction coping between the fire service and ambulance service departments. CONCLUSION: Rescue workers who considered that their work mattered used religious coping and distraction or adopted a practical approach toward dealing with stress, and those who were grittier were less vulnerable to psychological symptoms. So, these can be considered as protective factors of psychological vulnerability.

Perfectionism, mattering and loneliness in young adulthood of Generation-Z.

Introduction: Young adulthood is a transitional period where adults are faced with new social and psychological roles. So, in order to matter and to form relationship with others, they become vulnerable to set exaggerated high standards for themselves and others, which can eventually lead them to experience loneliness. Objectives: The present study aimed to determine the relationship of perfectionism, mattering with loneliness in young adults of Gen-Z after controlling for covariates. It was also aimed to find out gender differences on perfectionism, mattering and loneliness in young adults. Method: Correlational research design was used. A sample of 320 students with age ranging from 18 to 24 years, was collected from seven different government and private universities of Lahore through purposive sampling. The sample comprised of 160 male students and 160 female students. Multidimensional perfectionism scale, Mattering scale and UCLA loneliness scale-3 were administered to measure perfectionism, mattering and loneliness respectively. Results: Pearson product moment correlation showed that closer relationship of young adults with father (p < .01), mother (p < .01) and friends (p < .05) had a significant negative relationship with loneliness. Results of hierarchical regression analysis showed that age was significant negative predictor of loneliness. Self-oriented, other-oriented and socially prescribed perfectionism were significant positive predictors of loneliness. Mattering was significant negative predictor of loneliness. Independent sample t-test showed no significant differences between male and female students on perfectionism, mattering and loneliness. Conclusion: Perfectionist individuals tend to set stringent standards for themselves and others as well. The more they engage in perfectionism, the more they tend to feel that they do not matter to others. Feeling of not mattering to others can possibly lead the person to experience loneliness.