Post-traumatic Growth of First Responders Scale for Firefighters: Scale Development and Validation

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Occupational Health
• Trauma Studies

Background:

• Firefighters frequently encounter traumatic events.
• Assessing posttraumatic growth (PTG) in this population is crucial.
• Existing PTG measures may not capture firefighters' unique experiences.

Purpose of the Study:

• Develop and validate a reliable scale for measuring PTG in firefighters.
• Create a tool sensitive to the occupational characteristics of first responders.
• Provide a psychometrically sound instrument for PTG assessment in firefighters.

Main Methods:

• Methodological study involving item pool generation from literature and interviews.
• Rigorous validation including content, exploratory, and confirmatory factor analyses.
• Assessed convergent, discriminant, criterion, and known-groups validity, alongside internal consistency (Cronbach's α).

Main Results:

• A 21-item, four-factor scale (PTG-FIRSF) emerged: redefining life's meaning, discovering meaningful work, deepened interpersonal relationships, and growth in self-perception.
• The scale demonstrated strong validity and reliability (Cronbach's α = .96).
• Significant correlations confirmed criterion validity; known-groups validity was established.

Conclusions:

• The PTG-FIRSF is a valid, reliable, and user-friendly measure for firefighter posttraumatic growth.
• This scale can inform the development and evaluation of PTG interventions for firefighters.
• Facilitates understanding and support for firefighters' psychological resilience.