Admiration and motivation: key factors in managing PTSD among firefighters – BMC Public Health

The relationship between admiration and PTSD in firefighters

The findings indicated an inverse relationship between admiration and PTSD among firefighters. Those with heightened levels of admiration displayed fewer symptoms of PTSD, supporting research hypothesis 1 and aligning with existing literature suggesting that feelings of admiration can positively impact individual psychological well-being [8, 10]. The experience of admiration can significantly heighten an individual’s self-awareness and motivate them to surmount challenges and barriers in order to achieve a meaningful goal [9]. This cognitive capacity for self-awareness has been shown to facilitate the recovery process for individuals with PTSD [11, 24]. Furthermore, individuals with PTSD frequently experience psychophysiological dysfunction [25]. The social emotion of admiration encompasses complex cognitive processing and physiological regulation, impacting factors such as blood pressure, hormonal regulation, heart rate, and cerebral blood flow, leading to feelings of warmth, energy, and increased heart rate [14, 26]. Hence, firefighters who possess a heightened sense of admiration are more likely to sustain improved psychological and physiological well-being, consequently mitigating the likelihood of experiencing symptoms of PTSD.

The mediating role of motivation in the relationship between admiration and PTSD in firefighters

The findings of the study indicate that motivation serves as a mediator in the association between admiration and PTSD among firefighters, aligning with hypothesis 2. Specifically, the results demonstrate a positive correlation between firefighters’ feelings of admiration and their motivation. This relationship can be attributed to the tendency for individuals to emulate characteristics of admired figures, suggesting an active process rather than a passive one [8, 27]. Consequently, feelings of admiration are implicated in bolstering motivation levels. The findings of the study also indicate a negative correlation between motivation and PTSD in firefighters, aligning with Kaplan et al.’s assertion that motivation plays a significant role in the remission and onset of PTSD [13]. The aforementioned analysis suggests that a strong sense of admiration can serve as a catalyst for firefighters to proactively adopt their admired individuals as role models, exerting effort and continuously enhancing their skills to approach success. This heightened motivation enhances firefighters’ psychological ability in confronting potentially traumatic incidents at work, thereby mitigating and preventing symptoms of PTSD in this occupational group.

The primary discovery of this research indicates that internal and external motivation exhibit distinctly different effects on the correlation between admiration and PTSD. More specifically, internal motivation demonstrated a negative association with PTSD within the model, whereas the link between external motivation and PTSD displayed a positive relationship. This suggests that internal motivation, driven by feelings of admiration, contributes to the alleviation of PTSD among firefighters, whereas external motivation, also stemming from admiration, may hasten the onset of PTSD in firefighters. This discovery corroborates the notion that external motivation can yield adverse consequences [28]. Furthermore, it offers partial validation to van der Rijt’s concept of “the Vice of Admiration” [29], suggesting that admiration, when lacking in fostering self-improvement motivation, can detrimentally impact an individual’s emotional and mental well-being. However, the results also indicate that external motivation may exacerbate PTSD symptoms in firefighters, whereas internal motivation has a more effective impact in alleviating the condition. Consequently, admiration serves as a protective factor in reducing PTSD by bolstering firefighters’ motivation. These results highlight the importance of promoting internalizing motivation through admiration in interventions designed to mitigate PTSD in firefighters.

In the practical application of managing PTSD among firefighters, it is recommended to utilize lectures, training sessions, and daily public awareness campaigns focused on career-related examples to inspire admiration and guide internal motivation and psychological growth among firefighters. Meanwhile, it is imperative to provide counseling to firefighters in order to mitigate their heightened preoccupation with external evaluation resulting from direct comparisons with admired individuals, thereby preventing adverse emotions stemming from external motivation.

Implications and limitations

This study holds significant implications. PTSD can significantly impair the physical and mental well-being, as well as job performance, of firefighters. The management of PTSD in this population has garnered increasing interest. The findings of this research offer recommendations for mitigating PTSD symptoms among firefighters and promoting their psychological states following exposure to traumatic incidents. These insights can inform the development of effective psychological interventions and counseling services for firefighters. Specifically, it is imperative to enhance the development of admiration and motivation for firefighters through consistent training and daily life practices in order to mitigate and prevent symptoms of PTSD among this population. It is important to emphasize the necessity of guiding firefighters in internalizing their work motivation in order to prevent the exacerbation of PTSD. By fostering a desire for self-improvement through admiration for specific objectives and cultivating a stronger internal motivation for work, PTSD among firefighters can be more effectively managed.

Our study is constrained by several limitations. Firstly, due to the cross-sectional nature of the questionnaire survey, it is unable to establish a definitive causal relationship between variables, potentially leading to subjective research outcomes. Secondly, the study exclusively focused on male firefighters within the Chinese cultural context, limiting the generalizability of the findings to other cultural settings or female firefighter populations. In light of the aforementioned constraints, forthcoming research endeavors may employ longitudinal tracking or experimental methodologies to quantitatively assess variables in a more objective manner, thereby yielding more robust evidence for the causal link between admiration, motivation, and PTSD. Furthermore, future investigations could enhance the generalizability of the study’s model framework by examining firefighters across various gender demographics and cultural contexts.