Quality of Professional Life: what maintain the psychic well-being of firefighters?

Abstract

This research aimed to evaluate the impact of social support in the workplace and self-efficacy on the Quality of Professional Life (QPL) in military firefighters from Campina Grande-PB. 101 firefighters participated (85% sample), responding to the instruments: ProQOLIV, EPSST, GHQ-12 and Sociodemographic Questionnaire. To analyze the data in SPSS, were applied descriptive, correlational and regression statistics, being the Spearman’s calculation used to select the most significant QPL predictors (p> 0.05). The results indicate 84,2% of the sample with Compassion Satisfaction and only 15,8% with Compassion Fatigue (Burnout and STS). In the regression analyzes, the Reduction of Self-efficacy factor was the best predictor of QPL, mediated by the Informational and Emotional supports, leading to the conclusion that firefighters experience excellent QPL, probably because positive experiences at work, such as feeling effective, have provided the team with more successes than failures in safeguarding lives.

Keywords

• quality of professional life
• social support at work
• self-efficacy