Does Disclosure Moderate the Impact of Rumination on Posttraumatic Growth in Firefighters? Velinka Marton, Olivia Rothig, BS, Satoshi Kibi, MS, Rei Oshiro, MS, Takafumi Soejima, PhD, Kiyoko Kamibeppu, PhD, Koichi Hiraki, MA, & Kanako Taku, PhD Abstract: Check if there are any abstract requirements. Usually we put an abstract on the posters, even if small. However, if you do not need one an don’t want one should be fine. Introduction: For the significance, I wouldn’t say no research because someone might have we just don’t know!, but few research have . . . (a common phrase in manuscripts) Abstract Firefighters are at high risk for exposure to traumatic experiences. Struggling through such experiences can lead to posttraumatic growth (PTG) and it is typically associated with key internal and external processing. Deliberate and intrusive rumination have been found to differ in their role of facilitating or inhibiting PTG. Similarly, disclosing stressful experiences to others can affect the trajectory of PTG and may be a form of coping. Since firefighters often deal with regular work-related stressors but also benefit from occupational support, we tested the hypothesized impact of disclosure in the relationship between PTG and intrusive and deliberate rumination. Firefighters from Japan completed a set of measures to assess intrusive and deliberate rumination, PTG, and disclosure to supportive others. Results suggest that, for firefighters in Japan, talking to others about stressful experiences may be important for certain aspects of PTG that affect one’s outlook about future interests or opportunities. Demographics Results Significant impact of the interaction term of deliberate rumination and problem-solving disclosure in the model predicting the PTG domain New Possibilities Table 1. Demographic characteristics Firefighters in Japan (N = 154) Age M = 38.42, SD = 11.41 Range: 19 – 64 years old Sex 93.5% Male Relationship 74.0% Married Completed Education 22.1% High School 8.4% 4-year undergraduate 16.9% Graduate School Introduction Firefighters across the world are at high risk for exposure to traumatic experiences. They deal with regular work-related stressors but also benefit from the infrastructure of occupational support (Sattler et al., 2014) Posttraumatic Growth (PTG) (Allbaugh et al., 2016; Tedeschi & Calhoun, 1996) Personal growth after struggling through traumatic experience Involves internal and external processing, such as deliberate rumination (i.e., effortful cognitive processing) and problem-solving or support-seeking forms of coping Intrusive Rumination, Deliberate Rumination, & Disclosure Intrusive rumination (i.e., involuntary, repeating thoughts) are at times positively or negatively related to PTG (Gul & Karanci, 2017; Li et al., 2018) Perhaps, when combined with intrusive thoughts, coping strategies such as disclosure can affect the trajectory of PTG. Purpose Examine the role of disclosure in the relationship between PTG and intrusive & deliberate rumination Hypothesis Disclosure will impact the relationship between PTG and deliberate & intrusive rumination Results Table 2. Descriptives of Outcome Variables M (SD) PTGI – Total 1.70 (1.18) PTGI – New Possibilities 1.70 (1.31) Intrusive Rumination 2.32 (1.09) Deliberate Rumination 2.18 (.97) Disclosure 1.65 (1.38) Figure 1 and 2. Interaction Term and New Possibilities PTG Domain Discussion Disclosure, intrusive rumination, and deliberate rumination independently increased overall PTG. For firefighters in Japan, talking to others about stressful experiences may be important for certain aspects of PTG. The hypothesized moderating impact of problem-solving disclosure was supported in the relationship between deliberate rumination and the New Possibilities domain. Perhaps, developing a new outlook about future interests or opportunities after struggling with a stressful experience may require verbal processing unlike other aspects of PTG. Limitations Predominantly married, male sample – sources of support can vary between sexes (van Daalen et al., 2005) Time since stressful event was not considered. Perhaps, time since event would effect recollections of rumination and importance of disclosure Future Directions Examine the impact of disclosure in female first responders Include sources of support to elucidate which aspect of disclosure is most beneficial to promote PTG. Conclusion Results indicate that talking about the stressful events can encourage deliberate rumination in the New Possibilities domain of PTG. Clinicians should consider encouraging disclosure when dealing with stressful life events in order to foster a hopeful outlook about one’s future. Series of hierarchical regression analyses Step 1: Age, Gender, and Education Table 3. Hierarchical Regression Analysis ▵R2 B SE B 𝛽 Step 1 (covariates) Step 2 (predictors) .013 .440*** Intrusive .19 .10 .16* Disclosure .66 .09 .58** Interaction -.09 -.07 Step 1 (covariates) Step 2 (predictors) .013 .473*** Deliberate .30 .09 .25* Disclosure .61 .54*** Interaction -.10 .08 -.08 Dependent Variable: Total PTG Method Procedure and Measures Paper and pencil survey PTG Inventory-Expanded (PTGI-X) (Tedeschi et al., 2017) 25 items on a 6-point Likert scale (0 = I did not experience this change to 5 = very great degree; Cronbach's alpha = .97) Example: I am more likely to try to change things which need changing. Events Related Rumination Inventory (ERRI) (Cann et al., 2011) 20 items on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = not at all to 5 = extremely) Intrusive Items: I thought about the event when I did not mean to (Cronbach’s alpha = .97). Deliberate Items: I thought about what the experience might mean for my future (Cronbach’s alpha = .96). Problem-Solving Disclosure (developed for study) 5 items on 6-point Likert scale (0 = not at all to 5 = completely, Cronbach’s alpha = .94) Example: Talking to someone about this event helped me see it in a new way. Inclusion Criteria: a) Firefighter in Japan, b) Indicated having experienced a stressful event, c) Completed all measures Table 4. Hierarchical Regression Analysis ▵R2 B SE B 𝛽 Step 1 (covariates) Step 2 (predictors) .032 .427*** Deliberate .25 .10 .19* Disclosure .64 .50*** Interaction -.19 -.15* Dependent Variable: PTG – New Possibilities Domain References Allbaugh, L. J., Wright, M. O., & Folger, S. F. (2016). The role of repetitive thought in determining posttraumatic growth and distress following interpersonal trauma. Anxiety, Stress & Coping: An International Journal, 29(1), 21-37. doi:10.1080/10615806.2015.1015422 Cann, A., Calhoun, L. G., Tedeschi, R. G., Triplett, K. N., Vishnevsky, T., & Lindstrom, C. M. (2011). Assessing posttraumatic cognitive processes: The event related rumination inventory. Anxiety, Stress & Coping: An International Journal, 24, 137-156. doi:10.1080/10615806.2010.529901 Gul, E., & Karanci, A. N. (2017). What determines posttraumatic stress and growth following various traumatic events? A study in a Turkish community sample. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 30(1), 54-62. doi:10.1002/jts.22161 Li, T., Liu, T., Han, J., Zhang, M., Li, Z., Zhu, Q., & Wang, A. (2018). The relationship among resilience, rumination and posttraumatic growth in hemodialysis patients in north china. Psychology, Health & Medicine, 23, 442-453. doi:10.1080/13548506.2017.1384553 Sattler, D. N., Boyd, B., & Kirsch, J. (2014). Trauma‐exposed firefighters: Relationships among posttraumatic growth, posttraumatic stress, resource availability, coping and critical incident stress debriefing experience. Stress and Health: Journal of the International Society for the Investigation of Stress, 30, 356-365. doi:10.1002/smi.2608 Tedeschi, R.G., & Calhoun, L.G. (1996). The Posttraumatic Growth Inventory: Measuring the positive legacy of trauma., Journal of Traumatic Stress, 9, 455-471. doi:10.1002/jts.2490090305 Tedeschi, R. G., Cann, A., Taku, K., Senol‐Durak, E., & Calhoun, L. G. (2017). The posttraumatic growth inventory: A revision integrating existential and spiritual change. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 30(1), 11-18. doi:10.1002/jts.22155 van Daalen, G., Sanders, K., & Willemsen, T.M. (2005). Sources of social support as predictors of health, psychological well-being and life satisfaction among Dutch male and female dual-earners. Women & Health, 41, 43-62. doi:10.1300/J013v41n02_04 Note: * p < .05, *** p < .0001 Presented at the 2019 APA Convention in Chicago, IL August 8th, 2019 Contact: Velinka Marton at vmarton2@oakland.edu, Olivia Rothig at ostorch@oakland.edu, or Kanako Taku at taku@oakland.edu