The relationship between perceived social support and positive coping style in fire rescue personnel: the mediating effect of positive emotions and meaning in life

Abstract Coping style is a cognitive and behavioral effort in which individuals face specific internal and external environmental requirements beyond their ability. Fire rescue personnel are often faced with sudden disasters and threats, so positive coping style is of great significance to the mental health of them. Although previous studies have found that perceived social support can promote positive coping style, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study was designed to investigate a hypothetical model that posits that perceived social support in fire rescue personnel positively predicts positive coping style and that positive emotion and meaning in life play a mediating role. A total of 354 fire rescue personnel with fire rescue detachment in a city were investigated via the Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS), Positive and Negative Emotion Scale (PANNS), Meaning of Life Questionnaire (MLQ) and Simple Coping Style Questionnaire (SCSQ). The correlation between these variables and the mediating effect of resilience was examined by path analysis. The average scores of perceived social support, positive emotion, sense of life meaning and positive coping style were 4.94 ± 0.83, 3.26 ± 0.75, 4.94 ± 0.83 and 2.67 ± 0.44, respectively. The results of the correlation analysis revealed that positive coping style was positively correlated with social support, positive emotion and sense of meaning in life (all p < 0.01). Positive emotion and meaning in life had a complete mediating effect on the relationship between perceived social support and positive coping style, and the total mediating effect accounted for 76.05% of the total effect. Positive emotion and meaning in life play dual mediating roles in the perceived social support and positive coping style of fire rescue personnel. This paper reveals the internal mechanism of the perceived social support and positive coping style of fire rescue personnel, aiming to provide a theoretical basis and practical guidance for improving the mental health and rescue ability of fire rescue personnel.