An intervention with firefighters to promote psychological occupational health according to the Job Demands-Resources Model

Abstract

This study reports an intervention programme to promote job resources (social support) to increase firefighters' psychological well-being (burnout and engagement), using the Job Demand-Resource Model as the theoretical model. Participants were firefighters from an elite Portuguese organization. The intervention consisted of a leadership stress management workshop for middle supervisors that lasted 21 hours spread over 3 days. The intervention group (n = 67) were subordinates whose immediate supervisors participated in the workshop, and the control group (n = 37) were subordinates whose supervisors did not. All participants filled out questionnaires before the workshop and 4 months after. The repeated measures ANOVA revealed as expected that Time x Intervention interaction increased colleagues' social support, and marginally also increased firefighters' vigor. However, contrary to expected the intervention also increased chronic demands. Discussion focuses on the importance of understanding the process underpinning change in occupational stress management interventions, especially in emergency professionals.