Appropriate cognitive performance is vital for a firefighter, but many occupational factors can negatively affect it.
OBJECTIVE:
This study assessed the correlation between job stress, burnout, and cognitive performance in firefighters.
METHODS:
This descriptive-correlational study was conducted in three fire stations in Iran in 2023 with 61 participants, including 34 firefighters in the exposed group and 27 office workers in the control group. After ensuring the confidentiality of the obtained information and completing the demographic information checklist, Job stress and burnout levels were measured using standardized questionnaires, and cognitive functions were assessed using two computerized tests: Stroop and continuous performance.
RESULTS:
The mean age and work experience of firefighters were 33.29±9.44 and 10.42±3.51 years, respectively. The firefighters’ job stress and burnout levels were, on average, 163.12±9.18 and 88.89±4.28, respectively, significantly higher than those of the control group (P < 0.05). The results of the Pearson correlation test revealed a strong correlation (r = 0.719) between job stress and burnout. Pearson correlation coefficient (r = –0.512–0.757), yielded from psychological tests, demonstrated that firefighters’ job stress and burnout had moderate to strong associations with certain indicators of Stroop and continuous performance tests.
CONCLUSION:
According to the obtained results, it is recommended to take fundamental measures to reduce occupational stress and burnout of firefighters as a factor affecting cognitive performance.
SamarNAbasNADaudNAPerveenAIdrisILinMH, et al.Qualitative Assessment of Challenges and Impact on Health and Wellbeing of Malaysian Firefighters. Fitness, Performance and Health Journal. 2023;2(1):1–15.
2.
OdesRHongO. Job Stress and Sleep Disturbances Among Career Firefighters in Northern California. J Occup Environ Med. 2023;65(8):706–710.
3.
IgboanugoSBigelowPLMielkeJG. Health outcomes of psychosocial stress within firefighters: A systematic review of the research landscape. J Occup Health. 2021;63(1):e12219.
4.
TeixeiraTSantosJVazMBaptistaJSGuedesJC. Psychological Diseases in Firefighters: A Short Review. Occupational and Environmental Safety and Health IV. 2022;677–688.
5.
MaslachCLeiterMP. Understanding burnout: New models. The Handbook of Stress and Health: A Guide to Research and Practice. 2017;36–56.
6.
NurAMAnuarHS. The relationship between job burnout and job satisfaction: Health care industry perspectives. Global Business Management Review (GBMR). 2020;12(1):46–71.
7.
ÇelebiISGökkayaE. Prevalence of anxiety and depression and associated factors among firefighters: a cross-sectional study in Turkey. Rwanda Medical Journal. 2023;80(3):73–81.
8.
DyalMASmithTDDeJoyDMMooreBA. Occupational stress and burnout in the fire service: Examining the complex role and impact of sleep health. Behav Modif. 2022;46(2):374–394.
9.
ChalakMHJafariHYadollahifarSRajabiFZamandiMMasruriB, et al.The effect of occupational burnout on cognitive failure and general health in industrial workers (case study: Iran Tire Factory). Health Psychol Re. 2023;11(2):166–175.
10.
KottiNHajjajiMKchaouASellamiIMasmoudiMLMasmoudiJ, et al.Burnout and occupational accident. Eur Psychiatry. 2017;41(S1):S324–S325.
11.
CuiLHuangNBaiYFuMZiaSGuoJ. The Relationship Between Job Burnout and Depressive Symptoms Among Chinese Firefighters: Colleagueship as a Moderator. J Occup Environ Med. 2022;64(8):659–664.
12.
HuangQAnYLiX. Coping strategies as mediators in the relation between perceived social support and job burnout among Chinese firefighters. J Health Psychol. 2022;27(2):363–373.
13.
LvGLiJXuQZhangHWuWFanX, et al.The influence of firefighters’ perceived stress on job burnout: a moderated mediation model. Curr Psychol. 2023;1–11.
14.
TeixeiraIGVerzolaMRFilipiniRESperettaGF. The effects of a firefighting simulation on the vascular and autonomic functions and cognitive performance: a randomized crossover study. Front Physiol. 2023;14, 1215006.
15.
ThompsonCFerrieLPearsonSJHighlandsBMatthewsMJ. Do extreme temperatures affect cognition? A short review of the impact of acute heat stress on cognitive performance of firefighters. Front Physiol. 2024;14, 1270898.
16.
RamezanifarSShakibaZPirposhtehEAPoursadeghiyanMSahlabadiAS. The effects of personal protective equipment on heart rate, oxygen consumption and body temperature of firefighters: A systematic review. Work; 2023. Preprint: 1–13.
17.
BradleyDJ. The Effects of Heat and Emergencies on Firefighters in Oklahoma Throughout Their Careers, in Real-World Solutions for Diversity, Strategic Change, and Organizational Development: Perspectives in Healthcare, Education, Business, and Technology. 2023; IGI Global. p. 42–56.
18.
StarckeKWolfOTMarkowitschHJBrandM. Anticipatory stress influences decision making under explicit risk conditions. Behavioral Neuroscience. 2008;122(6):1352.
19.
GokKAtsanN. Decision-making under stress and its implications for managerial decision-making: a review of literature. International Journal of Business and Social Research. 2016;6(3):38–47.
20.
NelsonDLSimmonsBL. Health psychology and work stress: A more positive approach2003.
21.
P. Rice, Stress and health. Brooks/Cole. 1999.
22.
RahmaniRAliabadiMGolmohammadiRBabamiriMFarhadianM. Body physiological responses of city bus drivers subjected to noise and vibration exposure in working environment. Heliyon. 2022;8(8):e10329.
23.
GolmohammadiRDamyarNMohammadfamIFaradmalJ. Evaluation of the relation between noise exposure and occupational stress with unsafe acts and accidents in city bus drivers. Iran Occupational Health. 2014;11(1):70–78.
24.
YazdiZseid JavadiAHAfsariMAbbasiM. Occupational stress and its relation to insomnia among nurses of educational hospitals in Qazvin. Sleep and Hypnosis (Online). 2019;21(2):140–146.
25.
RahmaniRAliabadiMGolmohammadiRBabamiriMFarhadianM. Evaluation of cognitive performance of City bus drivers with respect to noise and vibration exposure. Acoust Aust. 2021;49(3):529–539.
26.
FattahpourSNasr IsfahaniMHadi HatamiMMaghami MehrA. The impact of nature sounds on job stress, satisfaction, and productivity among Emergency Department staff. Avicenna. 2024;2024(1):2.
KouchiTHashemiSEBeshlidehK. Relationship of organizational trust and organizational justice with organizational citizenship behavior of female teachers: Chain mediation of job stress and emotional exhaustion. International Journal of Psychology. 2016;10(2):140–164.
29.
AkbariRGhafar SamarRKianyGREghtesadiAR. Factorial validity and psychometric properties of Maslach burnout inventory– the Persian version. Knowledge & Health. 2011;6(3):1–8.
30.
StroopJR.Studies of interference in serial verbal reactions. J Exp Psychol. 1935;18(6):643–662.
31.
WeckerNSKramerJHWisniewskiADelisDCKaplanE. Age effects on executive ability. Neuropsychology. 2000;14(3):409–414.
32.
GhadiriFJazayeriAAshaeriHGhaziTM. Deficit in executive functioning in patients with schizo-obsessive disorder. Advances. Cognitive Science. 2006;8, 11–24.
33.
GoldenCFreshwaterSMGoldenZ. Stroop color and word test. Stoelting Co. 1978.
34.
LiuYNgHXKlausFYoungJWEylerLT. Daily mood and cognitive performance of women with and without bipolar disorder: role of menopausal status. Arch Womens Ment Health. 2023;1–6.
35.
HadianfardHNajarianBShokrkonHMehrabizadehHM. Construction and validation of the Farsi version of the continuous performance test. JDJPsychol. 2001;4, 388–404.
36.
Karimi AliabadTKafiMFarrahiH. Study of executive functions in bipolar disorders patients. Advances in Cognitive Science. 2010;12(2):29–39.
37.
MousavipourSSSheikhbardsiriHGolitalebMFarahi-AshtianiIYousefiKSahebiA. Job stress among Iranian firefighters: a systematic review. Disaster and Emergency Medicine Journal. 2022;7(4):239–244.
38.
SmithTDDeJoyDMDyalMAHuangG. Impact of work pressure, work stress and work– family conflict on firefighter burnout. Arch Environ Occup Health. 2019;74(4):215–222.
39.
Makara-StudzińskaMWajdaZLizińczykS. Years of service, self-efficacy, stress and burnout among Polish firefighters. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2020;33(3):283–297.
40.
RobinsonSJLeachJOwen-LynchPJSünram-LeaSI. Stress reactivity and cognitive performance in a simulated firefighting emergency. Aviat Space Environ Med. 2013;84(6):592–599.
41.
HemmatjoRMotamedzadeMAliabadiMKalatpourOFarhadianM. The effect of artificial smoke compound on physiological responses, cognitive functions and work performance during firefighting activities in a smoke-diving room: an intervention study. Int J Occup Saf Ergon. 2018;24(3):358–365.
42.
ZhangYBalilionisGCasaruCGearyCSchumackerRENeggersYH, et al.Effects of caffeine and menthol on cognition and mood during simulated firefighting in the heat. Appl Ergon. 2014;45(3):510–514.
43.
LeeDLeeJELeeJKimCJungYC. Insular activation and functional connectivity in firefighters with post-traumatic stress disorder. BJPsych Open. 2022;8(2):e69.
44.
LupienSJMaheuFTuMFioccoASchramekTE. The effects of stress and stress hormones on human cognition: Implications for the field of brain and cognition. Brain Cogn. 2007;65(3):209–237.
45.
KivimäkiMLusaS. Stress and cognitive performance of fire fighters during smoke-diving. Stress Med. 1994;10(1):63–68.
46.
HemmatjoRHajaghazadehMAllahyariTZareSKazemiR. The effects of live-fire drills on visual and auditory cognitive performance among firefighters. Ann Glob Health. 2020;86(1):144.
47.
ZareSHemmatjoRAllahyariTHajaghazadehMHajivandiAAghabeigiM, et al.Comparison of the effect of typical firefighting activities, live fire drills and rescue operations at height on firefighters’ physiological responses and cognitive function. Ergonomics. 2018;61(10):1334–1344.
48.
J StoutJWBeidelDCBrushDBowersC. Sleep disturbance and cognitive functioning among firefighters. J Health Psychol. 2021;26(12):2248–2259.
49.
ParkJ. The adverse impact of personal protective equipment on firefighters’ cognitive functioning. The Research Journal of the Costume Culture. 2019;27(1):1–10.
50.
JozaniMSGhasemiFBabamiriMKalatpourO. Trauma load and cognitive failures among firefighters: The role of post-traumatic stress disorder and personal and job characteristics. Int J Ind Ergon. 2023;97:103484.
51.
GreenleeTAHornGSmithDLFaheyGGoldsteinEPetruzzelloSJ. The influence of short-term firefighting activity on information processing performance. Ergonomics. 2014;57(5):764–773.
52.
FullagarHHSchwarzERichardsonANotleySRLuDDuffieldR. Australian firefighters perceptions of heat stress, fatigue and recovery practices during fire-fighting tasks in extreme environments. Appl Ergon. 2021;95:103449.
53.
ShamburgerT. Stress and Job Performance: The Roles of Salivary Cortisol and Social Support. University of Alabama at Birmingham. 2012;1–137.
54.
KoutsimaniPMontgomeryAMasouraEPanagopoulouE. Burnout and cognitive performance. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(4):2145.
55.
BlixEPerskiABerglundHSavicI. Long-term occupational stress is associated with regional reductions in brain tissue volumes. PloS One. 2013;8(6):e64065.
