Effort-Reward Imbalance in the Emergency Rescue Service - A Cross-Sectional Study on Prevalence and Influencing Factors among Full-Time Emergency Service Employees

Abstract

The emergency service is a challenging field of activity. The Effort-Reward Imbalance model explains on the basis of the ratio between reward/effort the appearance of occupational stress. For the first time, this study examines the extent of Effort-Reward Imbalance in rescue services in Germany. Full-time emergency service employees of a German Red Cross District Association were consulted. N=82 employees (78.8%) participated (M age=37.78 years, 73.2% male). In addition to the Effort-Reward-Imbalance-Questionnaire, the study included other tools to measure anxiety, depression, health, social support, bullying and optimism of the employees. N=58 persons (70.7%) reported an effort-reward imbalance. The existence of an Effort-Reward Imbalance was related to older age, lower education, higher professional qualification (working as a paramedic) and existing partnership. Persons with an effort-reward imbalance reported poorer health and lower social support. The high number of persons with Effort-Reward Imbalance in emergency services in Germany coincides with international studies. The results demonstrates the need for preventive support and further research.