Adult attachment, work cohesion, coping, and psychological well-being of firefighters

Little research has investigated factors and mechanisms that contribute to firefighters' psychological well-being. Because of the high-stress nature and team work format of this profession, firefighters are uniquely well-suited for studying the effects of adult attachment on their well-being. This study tested a conceptual model depicting the relationships of five psychosocial latent variables: (a) attachment anxiety, (b) attachment avoidance, (c) work cohesion, (d) coping, and (e) psychological well-being of firefighters. The sample included 173 professional firefighters recruited from two Midwestern cities. Results suggested that both attachment avoidance and attachment anxiety had significant direct associations with psychological well-being and that coping partially mediated the link between attachment avoidance (but not attachment anxiety) and psychological well-being. Work cohesion did not mediate the relationships between attachment and psychological well-being. However, coping fully mediated the relation of work cohesion and psychological well-being. Findings and implications are discussed based on attachment perspectives within the context of unique characteristics of the firefighter population.