@article{ref1,
title="Generativity and other buffers of death awareness in first responders",
journal="Anxiety, stress, and coping",
year="2020",
author="Herr, David J. and Buchanan, Erin M.",
volume="33",
number="2",
pages="193-206",
abstract="Background and Objectives: Anxiety buffer disruption theory (ABDT) predicts that posttraumatic stress reactions occur when buffers of awareness of death, such as meaning in life, self-esteem, and social intimacy, fail to suppress overwhelming death-anxiety. In this study, we hypothesized that generativity may also serve as an effective buffer of awareness of death and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).<br><br>DESIGN: The present study investigated the presence of anxiety buffering disruption in first responders with a spectrum of posttraumatic stress via a mediation path model of self-report measures of PTSD symptoms, anxiety buffer variables, and death-thought accessibility.<br><br>METHODS: To investigate the role of anxiety buffering in PTSD, a sample of 986 first responders completed self-report measures of PTSD symptoms and anxiety buffer variables in randomized order, and a death-thought accessibility measure following random assignment to mortality salience (n = 290) or control (n = 302) conditioning.<br><br>RESULTS and Conclusion: Results of structural equation modeling indicated PTSD symptoms have a small relation to increased awareness of death whereas anxiety buffering variables did not mediate the relation between PTSD symptoms and awareness of death. Nonetheless, generativity and meaning in life, self-esteem, and social support were significant predictors of lower levels of PTSD.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1061-5806",
doi="10.1080/10615806.2019.1695522",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10615806.2019.1695522"
}