TŁUMIENIE I UWRAŻLIWIENIE W GRUPIE STRAŻAKÓW Z OCHOTNICZEJ I PAŃSTWOWEJ STRAŻY POŻARNEJ: WSTĘPNY RAPORT Z BADAŃ
REPRESSION AND SENSITIZATION IN FIREFIGHTERS FROM VOLUNTEER AND STATE FIRE SERVICE: PRELIMINARY RESEARCH REPORT

Summary/Abstract: The fulfillment of professional tasks by fiefighters includes taking actions aimed at preventing and fighting fires, natural disasters and other threats, as well as protecting health, life, human property and the environment. The involvement in these duties often requires working in harmful and/or threatening conditions. As a result, firefighters are exposed to many negative, long-term effects in both somatic and mental health. One way to deal with experienced problems is to take actions aimed at repression or sensitization. Repression is associated with the tendency to avoid contact with any type of threatening material and stimuli. Sensitization, on the other hand, is connected with high awareness toward threatening material. So far, no research has been carried out to verify the level of susceptibility to repression and sensitization in a group of firefighters. In the present study, this topic was analyzed. Data were collected from 122 men aged 18–72 (M = 34.14; SD = 8.49) serving in the State Fire Service (97 persons) or in the Volunteer Fire Service (25 persons). The average work experience in the firefighter’s profession for the respondents was M = 10.71; SD = 8.05. Respondents were asked to complete the State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and the Social Desirability Questionnaire (KAS). It was proved that in the group of firefighters the most frequent types are people with a tendency for repression and high-anxiety. The group of sensitizers remains the least numerous among firefighters. The obtained result was discussed in the light of the consequences of the tendency for repression or sensitization in the work of a firefighter.

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