The impact of emotional labor on the severity of PTSD symptoms in firefighters

Abstract

BackgroundDespite attempts to identify predictors for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in firefighters, it is still uncertain whether occupational stress factors impact PTSD symptoms. Given the emotionally taxing job environment of firefighters, this population has been known to suffer from emotional labor. In this study, we investigated whether and how emotional labor, one of the occupational stress factors, influences the severity of PTSD symptoms in firefighters. MethodsA total of 7151 Korean firefighters (age range 21–60 years, 6484 (90.7%) male participants) were included for analysis. PTSD symptoms were assessed using the PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version, and the demands of emotional labor and emotional damage were measured using the Korean Emotional Labor Scale. Hierarchical multivariate regression was performed. ResultsHierarchical multivariate regression showed that a 2-way interaction between the presence of recent trauma and emotional damage was significantly associated with the severity of PTSD symptoms, even after adjusting for demographic factors, job-related factors, and perceived stress. The independent main effects of emotional labor were not significantly associated with PTSD symptoms. ConclusionThese findings suggest that emotional labor can be a risk factor that makes firefighters vulnerable to PTSD symptoms by modulating the effect of traumatic experiences on PTSD symptoms.