Considering the Impact of Early Trauma on Coping and Pathology to Predict Posttraumatic Growth Among 9-1-1 Telecommunicators

Author ORCID Identifier

Michelle Lilly:https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4417-8164

Publication Title

Journal of Interpersonal Violence

ISSN

08862605

E-ISSN

15526518

Document Type

Article

Abstract

Recent research has demonstrated that first responders may report posttraumatic growth (PTG), positive psychological changes that arise in the aftermath of a trauma. Less is known regarding the perception of PTG among 9-1-1 telecommunicators, a group of first responders exposed to a high degree of lifetime trauma, including duty-related trauma as well as early and non-duty-related trauma. Moreover, the impact of childhood trauma on the processes involved in the perception of growth is less clear. While some distress is needed to facilitate processes that lead to the perception of PTG, it has been suggested that positive associations between PTG and pathology reflect avoidant coping or represent an illusory component of PTG. Structural equation models were used to examine early trauma exposure, coping, and pathology in predicting PTG among 9-1-1 telecommunicators (N = 788). In separate models using active and avoidant forms of coping, childhood trauma exposure had an indirect effect on PTG through coping. In a model considering both forms of coping, childhood trauma had an indirect effect on PTG through psychopathology, but not through coping. The results show that early trauma exposure leads to the perception of growth through pathways indicative of both adaptive and maladaptive coping processes.

First Page

4709

Last Page

4731

Publication Date

11-1-2020

DOI

10.1177/0886260517716942

PubMed ID

29294814

Keywords

emergency responders, posttraumatic growth, psychopathology

Department

Other; Department of Psychology

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