Associations between posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and reckless/self-destructive behaviors among firefighters : the roles of negative and positive affect

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms are linked to increased engagement in reckless/self-destructive behaviors (RSDBs), with affect being a purported mechanism underlying this relationship. To extend such research in a high-risk and vulnerable population, the current study examined the mediating role of negative and positive affect levels in the association between PTSD symptom severity and RSDB engagement among firefighters. Participants were 149 firefighters (Mage = 39.93, 94.6% male) from the Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) area who completed a self-report survey on sociodemographic characteristics, negative and positive affect, engagement in RSDBs, and PTSD symptoms. Parallel mediation analysis indicated a significant indirect effect of PTSD symptom severity on RSDB engagement through higher levels of negative affect, (b1 path; β = 0.35, p < .001, 95% CI: [0.17, 0.48]). In a firefighter sample, negative affect (but not positive affect) levels partially explain associations between PTSD symptoms and RSDB engagement. It may be helpful to clinically target reducing negative affect (e.g., via distress tolerance and mindfulness skills) to improve PTSD symptoms and to lessen RSDB engagement. These findings inform a more nuanced understanding of the role of affective states in associations between PTSD symptoms and RSDBs.