TITLE:
“Add Flow to the Fire”: Flow and Hope as a Shield against Burnout of Fire Service Workers
AUTHORS:
Vasiliki Yotsidi, Ntina Kourmousi, Eirini Dermitzaki, Christos Pezirkianidis, Kalliope Kounenou
KEYWORDS:
Flow, Hope, Burnout, Firefighters, Positive Psychology, Occupational Health
JOURNAL NAME:
Psychology,
Vol.9 No.6,
June
27,
2018
ABSTRACT: Being related to optimal functioning, the concept of flow is valuable for a variety of tasks and activities that entails human endeavor. Though flow gives the individuals the ability to focus energetically and direct their resources towards their goals, it was not studied in relation to the goal-directed variable of hope to date. The present study aimed to examine flow, hope and burnout in professional firefighters in Greece and to examine the antecedents of flow and hope after a challenging work incident. The Dispositional Flow Scale-2 (DFS-2), the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey (MBI-GS) and the Adult Dispositional Hope Scale (ADHS) were filled in by 180 firefighters in a pre- and post-study design. The results showed that after a fire incident, firemen’s burnout scores increased, whereas hope scores decreased. Flow and hope were positively related to professional efficacy, while stable pathways of the ADHS were associated with increased flow after the fire incident. Significant differences were detected in both flow and hope levels in relation to the participants’ burn out, as well as their age, educational level, and family status. The findings have important practical and research implications in terms of empowering workers at such stressful and demanding professions of high social and public health importance.