Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine

Original Article

Meaning of work in the association between traumatic events experienced and posttraumatic growth among workers in South Korea: a cross-sectional study: Miyoung Kim, Sang Baek Koh, Yujin Kim; Ann Occup Environ Med 2026;38:e35. Published online July 27, 2026; DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/aoem.2026.38.e35

Abstract Abstract in Korean PDF: Background
Traumatic experiences are associated with posttraumatic stress disorder and posttraumatic growth (PTG). Although meaning-making has been emphasized in PTG, little research has examined whether the meaning of work is involved in cross-sectional indirect associations between traumatic events experienced and PTG. In South Korea, research has focused mainly on events meeting the diagnostic criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), whereas events not meeting DSM criteria among workers remain underexamined.
Methods
This study measured traumatic events experienced, meaning of work, and PTG in 328 workers aged 20 years or older. Traumatic events experienced were classified as events meeting DSM-5 criteria or events not meeting these criteria. Cross-sectional indirect associations were examined using SPSS 21.0 and the PROCESS Macro.
Results
In cross-sectional indirect-effect models, meaning of work showed a significant indirect association between the total number of traumatic events experienced and PTG. A significant indirect association through meaning of work was also observed for events not meeting DSM criteria, whereas no significant indirect association was found for events meeting DSM criteria.
Conclusions
In this worker sample, events not meeting DSM criteria were highly prevalent. Meaning of work may be cross-sectionally associated with how workers interpret and integrate such events. These exploratory findings suggest that meaning-centered approaches may complement workplace mental health interventions, although longitudinal studies are needed to test temporal and causal processes.; 직장인 외상 경험과 외상 후 성장의 관계에서 일의 의미의 매개 효과
목적
외상 경험은 외상 후 스트레스 같은 부정적 결과 뿐 아니라 외상 후 성장으로도 이어질 수 있다. 외상 후 성장 과정에서 의미화 역할이 강조되어 왔으나 성인의 주요 삶의 영역인 일의 영역에서 의미화가 매개 변인으로 작용하는 지에 대한 연구는 제한적이다. 성인에게 일은 생계 유지와 정체성, 사회적 연결의 핵심 영역이므로 외상 경험과 외상 후 성장의 관계에서 일의 의미를 확인할 필요가 있다. 또한 국내 외상 경험에 대한 연구는 주로 DSM진단 기준 외상 사건에 초점을 두어 직장인의 비 진단기준 외상 경험에 대한 영향을 충분히 검토되지 않았다. 따라서 첫째, 직장인의 외상 경험의 유형을 확인하고자 한다. 둘째, 외상 경험이 있는 직장인들이 외상 후 성장으로 나가는 데 일의 의미가 긍정적인 매개효과를 나타내는지 규명하고자한다. 셋째, 일의 의미가 외상 후 성장에 영향을 미치는 과정에서 DSM 진단기준 사건과 비 진단기준 사건이 차이가 있는지 검증하고자 한다.
방법
이 연구는 만 20세 이상 직장인 328명을 대상으로 외상 사건 경험, 일의 의미, 외상 후 성장을 측정하였다. 외상 사건은 DSM-5 진단기준 사건과 비 진단기준 사건으로 구분하였다. SPSS 21.0과 PROCESS Macro(Model4)를 사용하여 매개 효과를 분석하였다.
결과
직장인 외상 경험 유형이 확대되고 높은 빈도로 보고 되었다. 일의 의미는 DSM 진단 · 비진단을 포함한 전체 외상 사건에서 부분 매개 효과를 보였고, 비 진단기준 사건에서는 완전 매개 효과가 나타났으며 진단 기준 사건에서는 매개 효과가 없는 것으로 나타났다.
결론
직장인 표본에서 비 진단기준 외상 사건 빈도가 높게 나타났다. 일의 의미는 특히 일상적 · 비진단적 외상 경험에서 외상 후 성장을 촉진하는 핵심 경로로 작용한다. 이는 직장 기반 정신건강 개입에서 의미 중심 접근의 중요성을 시사한다.

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Original Article

Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms and Related Factors in Firefighters of a Firestation: Soon Chan Kwon, Jaechul Song, Soo Jin Lee, Inah Kim, Jaewoo Koh, Hyunchul Ryou, Seok Hyun Kim, Daeho Kim, Seung Ah Jung; Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2008;20(3):193-204. Published online September 30, 2008; DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/kjoem.2008.20.3.193

OBJECTIVES
To investigate the factors related with posttraumatic symptoms and to estimate the prevalence of posttraumatic disorder of urban male firefighters.
METHODS
From a study sample comprising 260 male firefighters from one fire station, the responses from 146 who had experienced one or more traumatic events, responded to the 'Impact of Event Scale-Revised Korean version' (IES-R-K) and didn't show any evidence of depression were analyzed. We surveyed the firefighters using a self-administered questionnaire including general characteristics, job-related characteristics, IES-R-K, and a 'Firefighters and paramedics' incident stressor'.
RESULTS
The mean value of IES-R-K in this study was 11.3 and it was higher in the married firefighters than in the unmarried firefighters (p=0.005) and in the 24-hr shift workers than in the ordinary day shift workers (p=0.032). The frequency of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) of the firefighters in this study using IES-R-K was 13.7%, with a cutoff point of 24/25. The overall number of experiences of 25 traumatic events was larger in emergency medical personnel and rescue workers than in other work functions (p=0.000).
CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of PTSD symptoms in firefighters was estimated to 13.7% using IES-RK and was higher than the prevalence of PTSD in the general population. A program to manage the mental health and provide early detection for mental illness for firefighters is needed.

Citations

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