The relationship between job-induced post-traumatic stress and work-based social support

Abstract

Research on the role of social support in occupational samples has suggested that work-based social support [WBSS] may have a significant buffering and main effect on occupational stress. Using occupational stress research as a model, the present research explored the relationship between WBSS and job-induced post-traumatic stress [PTS] in a sample of cash-in-transit security guards that had experienced a high incidence of armed robberies in the line of duty. Results indicate that WBSS has a significant relationship with PTS. Factors associated with elevated PTS levels are discussed and comparisons are made with guards who had not experienced traumatic incidents. Opsomming Navorsing omtrent die rol van sosiale ondersteuning in werkersteekproewe dui daarop dat werkgebaseerde sosiale ondersteuning (WGSO) n betekenisvolle bufferings- en hoofeffek op beroepstres het. Die huidige navorsing het die verhouding tussenWGSO en werkgeinduseerde posttraumaties stres (PTS) inn steekproefkontant- in-transito sekuriteitswagte, wat n hoë insidensie gewapende roof in die uitvoer van hul dagtaak beleefhet, ondersoek. Die bevindinge dui aan dat daar 'n betekenisvolle verhouding tussenWGSO en PTS bestaan. Faktore wat met PTS geassosieer word, word bespreek en vergelykings word getref met sekuriteitswagte wat geen traumatiese belewenis gehad het nie.

Keywords

• Job-induced post-traumatic stress
• Work-based social support