Stress in emergency telephone number operators during the COVID-19 pandemic: the role of self-efficacy and Big Five personality traits

Autor

  • Joanna Dymecka Uniwersytet Opolski
  • Robert Tarczyński Centrum Powiadamiania Ratunkowego w Opolu
  • Rafał Gerymski Uniwersytet Opolski

Słowa kluczowe:

stress, Big Five, self-efficacy, COVID-19, emergency telephone number operators

Abstrakt

Background

Emergency telephone number operators experience many challenges in their work during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their personality traits and self-efficacy may act as important factors in their level of perceived stress. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between Big Five personality traits, self-efficacy and perceived stress among emergency telephone number operators during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Participants and procedure

One hundred emergency telephone number operators participated in the study. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), Ten Item Personality Inventory (TIPI) and Generalized Self Efficacy Scale (GSES) were used.

Results

Emergency telephone number operators experienced a moderate level of perceived stress. The level of perceived stress was associated with all Big Five personality traits and self-efficacy. Stepwise regression showed that selfefficacy and emotional stability were significant predictors of perceived stress in a tested sample of emergency telephone number operators. Self-efficacy acted as a mediator between the 4 Big Five personality traits (except extraversion) and perceived stress.

Conclusions

Self-efficacy can be a very important resource during the struggle of emergency telephone number operators with the successive waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. Operators with a high level of this resource can more effectively cope with the changes and perceive stress as lower. Individuals’ personality traits may affect the level of self-efficacy that determines how stress is perceived. It is important to strengthen the self-efficacy of those involved in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Bibliografia

Afshar, H., Roohafza, H. R., Keshteli, A. H., Mazaheri, M., Feizi, A., & Adibi, P. (2015). The association of personality traits and coping styles according to stress level. Journal of Research in Medical Sciences, 20, 353–358.

Andruszkiewicz, A., Banaszkiewicz, M., Felsmann, M., Marzec, A., Kiełbratowska, B., & Kocięcka, A. (2011). Poczucie własnej skuteczności a wybrane zmienne związane z funkcjonowaniem zawodowym w grupie pielęgniarek [The sense of self-efficacy and selected occupational functioning related variables in the group of nurses]. Problemy Pielęgniarstwa, 19, 143–147.

Bandura, A. (1977). Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavior change. Psychological Review, 84, 191–215. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.84.2.191

Bandura, A. (1982). Self-efficacy mechanism in human agency. American Psychologist, 37, 122–147. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.37.2.122

Bandura, A. (1989). Regulation of cognitive processes through perceived self-efficacy. Developmental Psychology, 25, 729–735. https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.25.5.729

Bandura, A. (1993). Perceived self-efficacy in cognitive development and functioning. Educational Psychologist, 28, 117–148. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15326985ep2802_3

Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy. Harvard Mental Health Letter, 13, 4–6.

Bandura, A. (2007). Teoria społecznego uczenia się [Social learning theory]. Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN.

Barlow, D. H., Ellard, K. K., Sauer-Zavala, S., Bullis, J. R., & Carl, J. R. (2014). The origins of neuroticism. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 9, 481–496. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691614544528

Benight, C. C., Swift, E., Sanger, J., Smith, A., & Zeppelin, D. (1999). Coping self‐efficacy as a mediator of distress following a natural disaster. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 29, 2443–2464. https:// doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.1999.tb00120.x

Benight, C. C., & Harper, M. L. (2002). Coping self‐efficacy perceptions as a mediator between acute stress response and long‐term distress following natural disasters. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 15, 177–186. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1015295025950

Bidzan, M., Bidzan-Bluma, I., Szulman-Wardal, A., Stueck, M., & Bidzan, M. (2020). Does self-efficacy and emotional control protect hospital staff from COVID-19 anxiety and PTSD symptoms? Psychological functioning of hospital staff after the announcement of COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 552583. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.552583

Bihlmaier I., & Schlarb, A. A. (2016). Self-efficacy and sleep problems. Somnologie, 20, 275–280. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11818-016-0085-1

Bolger, N., & Schilling, E. A. (1991). Personality and the problems of everyday life: The role of neuroticism in exposure and reactivity to daily stressors. Journal of Personality, 59, 355–386. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6494.1991.tb00253.x

Bolger, N., & Zuckerman, A. (1995). A framework for studying personality in the stress process. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 69, 890–902. https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.69.5.890

Bondy, E., Baranger, D. A., Balbona, J., Sputo, K., Paul, S. E., Oltmanns, T. F., & Bogdan, R. (2021). Neuroticism and reward-related ventral striatum activity: Probing vulnerability to stress-related depression. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 130, 223–235. https://doi.org/10.1037/abn0000618

Byra, S. (2011). Poczucie własnej skuteczności w kontekście radzenia sobie w sytuacjach trudnych kobiet i mężczyzn z nabytą niepełnosprawnością ruchową [Sense of self-efficacy in the context of coping in difficult situations among females and males with acquired motor disability]. Medycyna Ogólna i Nauki o Zdrowiu, 17, 127–134.

Caviglia, M., Buson, R., Pini, S., Jambai, A., Vandy, M. J., Venturini, F., Rosi, P., Barone-Adesi, F., Della Corte, F., Ragazzoni, L., & Putoto, G. (2020). The national emergency medical service role during the COVID-19 pandemic in Sierra Leone. Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, 35, 693–697. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1049023X20001211

Cohen, S., Kamarck, T., & Mermelstein, R. (1983). A global measure of perceived stress. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 24, 385–396. https://doi.org/10.2307/2136404

Dymecka, J. (2021). Psychosocial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Neuropsychiatry and Neuropsychology, 16, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.5114/nan.2021.108030

Dymecka, J., Filipkowski, J., & Machnik-Czerwik, A. (2021a). Fear of COVID-19: Stress and job satisfaction among Polish doctors during the pandemic. Advances in Psychiatry and Neurology, 30, 243–250. https://doi.org/10.5114/ppn.2021.111935

Dymecka, J., Gerymski, R., Iszczuk, A., & Bidzan, M. (2021b). Fear of coronavirus, stress and fear of childbirth in Polish pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18, 13111. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182413111

Dymecka, J., Gerymski, R., & Machnik-Czerwik, A. (2021c). Fear of COVID-19 as a buffer in the relationship between perceived stress and life satisfaction in the Polish population at the beginning of the global pandemic. Health Psychology Report, 9, 149–159. https://doi.org/10.5114/hpr.2020.102136

Dymecka, J., Gerymski, R., Machnik-Czerwik, A., Derbis, R., & Bidzan, M. (2021d). Fear of COVID-19 and life satisfaction: The role of the health-related hardiness and sense of coherence. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12, 712103. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.712103

Dymecka, J., Gerymski, R., Tataruch, R., & Bidzan, M. (2021e). Fatigue, physical disability and self-efficacy as predictors of the acceptance of illness and health-related quality of life in patients with multiple sclerosis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18, 13237. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182413237

Dymecka, J., Machnik-Czerwik, A., & Filipkowski, J. (2021f). Fear of COVID-19, risk perception and stress level in Polish nurses during COVID-19 outbreak. The Journal of Neurological and Neurosurgical Nursing, 10, 3–9. https://doi.org/10.15225/PNN.2021.10.1.1

Ebstrup, J. F., Eplov, L. F., Pisinger, C., & Jørgensen, T. (2011). Association between the Five Factor personality traits and perceived stress: Is the effect mediated by general self-efficacy? Anxiety, Stress, and Coping, 24, 407–419. https://doi.org/10.1080/10615806.2010.540012

Gosling, S. D., Rentfrow, P. J., & Swann, W. B. Jr. (2003). A very brief measure of the Big-Five personality domains. Journal of Research in Personality, 37, 504–528. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0092-6566(03)00046-1

Guthert, K. C., Cohen, L. H., & Armeli, S. (1999). Role of neuroticism in daily stress and coping. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77, 1087–1100. https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.77.5.1087

Hayes, A. F. (2017). Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: a regression-based approach. Guilford Publications.

Heszen-Niejodek, I. (2000). Teoria stresu psychologicznego i radzenia sobie [The theory of psychological stress and coping]. In J. Strelau (Ed.), Psychologia. Podręcznik akademicki. Jednostka w społeczeństwie i elementy psychologii stosowanej [Psychology. Academic textbook. The individual in society and elements of applied psychology] (pp. 465–492). Gdańskie Wydawnictwo Psychologiczne.

Ho, S. M. Y., Kwong-Lo, R. S. Y., Mak, C. W. Y., & Wong, J. S. (2005). Fear of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) among health care workers. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 73, 344–349. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.73.2.344

Jachimowicz, V., & Kostka, T. (2009). Ocena poczucia własnej skuteczności u pensjonariuszy domu pomocy społecznej [Assessment of self-efficacy in the residents of older people home]. Gerontologia Polska, 17, 23–31.

Juczyński, Z. (1998). Poczucie własnej skuteczności jako wyznacznik zachowań zdrowotnych [Self-efficacy as a determinant of health behaviors]. Promocja Zdrowia. Nauki Społeczne i Medycyna, 14, 54–63.

Juczyński, Z. (2001). Narzędzia pomiaru w promocji i psychologii zdrowia [Measurement tools in health promotion and psychology]. Pracownia Testów Psychologicznych PTP.

Juczyński, Z., & Juczyński, A. (2012). „Chcieć to móc”, czyli o znaczeniu poczucia własnej skuteczności w modyfikacji zachowań związanych z piciem alkoholu [“To want to be able” – the importance of self-efficacy in behaviour modification in regard to alcohol consumption]. Alkoholizm i Narkomania, 25, 215–227.

Juczyński, Z., & Oginska-Bulik, N. (2009). Narzędzia pomiaru stresu i radzenia sobie ze stresem [Tools for measuring stress and coping with stress]. Pracownia Testów Psychologicznych PTP.

Judge, T. A., & Ilies, R. (2002). Relationship of personality to performance motivation: a meta-analytic review. Journal of Applied Psychology, 87, 797–807. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.87.4.797

Kammeyer-Mueller, J. D., Simon, L. S., & Judge, T. A. (2016). A head start or a step behind? Understanding how dispositional and motivational resources influence emotional exhaustion. Journal of Management, 42, 561–581. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206313484518

Kościelak, R. (2010). Poczucie umiejscowienia kontroli i przekonania o własnej skuteczności w zdrowiu i w chorobie [The feeling of having control and self-efficacy in health and disease]. Oficyna Wydawnicza Impuls.

Kroencke, L., Geukes, K., Utesch, T., Kuper, N., & Back, M. D. (2020). Neuroticism and emotional risk during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Research in Personality, 89, 104038. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2020.104038

Krok, D., & Gerymski, R. (2019). Self-efficacy as a mediator of the relationship between meaning in life and subjective well-being in cardiac patients. Current Issues in Personality Psychology, 7, 242–251. https://doi.org/10.5114/cipp.2019.89168

Krok, D., & Gerymski, R. (2021). Affect and psychological well-being in partners of cancer patients: The mediating role of meaning in life and self-efficacy. Family Forum, 11, 267–286. https://doi.org/10.25167/FF/3806

Krupić, D., Žuro, B., & Krupić, D. (2021). Big Five traits, approach-avoidance motivation, concerns and adherence with COVID-19 prevention guidelines during the peak of pandemic in Croatia. Personality and Individual Differences, 179, 110913. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2021.110913

Kulik, M. M. (2008). Cierpienie, które przerasta, czyli o wypaleniu lekarzy pracujących z ludźmi przewlekle chorymi [A suffering that exceeds – the burnout of doctors working with chronically ill people]. Studia z psychologii w KUL, 15, 81–112.

Lee, S. A., Jobe, M. C., Mathis, A. A., & Gibbons, J. A. (2020). Incremental validity of coronaphobia: Coronavirus anxiety explains depression, generalized anxiety, and death anxiety. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 74, 102268. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2020.102268

Liu, S., Lithopoulos, A., Zhang, C. Q., Garcia-Barrera, M. A., & Rhodes, R. E. (2021). Personality and perceived stress during COVID-19 pandemic: Testing the mediating role of perceived threat and efficacy. Personality and Individual differences, 168, 110351. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2020.110351

Luszczynska, A., Scholz, U., & Schwarzer, R. (2005). The General Self-Efficacy Scale: Multicultural validation studies. The Journal of Psychology, 139, 439–457. https://doi.org/10.3200/JRLP.139.5.439-457

Maciejewski, P. K., Prigerson, H. G., & Mazure, C. M. (2000). Self-efficacy as a mediator between stressful life events and depressive symptoms: Differences based on history of prior depression. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 176, 373–378. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.176.4.373

McCrae, R. R., & Costa, P. T., Jr. (2005). Osobowość dorosłego człowieka [Personality in adulthood]. Wydawnictwo WAM.

McCrae, R., & Costa, P. (2008). The five-factor theory of personality. In O. John, R. Robins, & L. Pervin (Eds.), Handbook of personality. Theory and research (pp. 159–181). Guilford Press.

Mnich, T. (2020). Zgłoszenia alarmowe związane z COVID-19 [Emergency reports related to COVID-19]. Retrieved from https://www.gov.pl/web/numer-alarmowy-112/zgloszenia-alarmowezwiazane-z-covid-19

Nikčević, A. V., Marino, C., Kolubinski, D. C., Leach, D., & Spada, M. M. (2021). Modelling the contribution of the Big Five personality traits, health anxiety, and COVID-19 psychological distress to generalised anxiety and depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Affective Disorders, 279, 578–584. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2020.10.053

Nikčević, A. V., & Spada, M. M. (2020). The COVID-19 anxiety syndrome scale: Development and psychometric properties. Psychiatry Research, 292, 113322. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113322

Oleś, P. (2003). Wprowadzenie do psychologii osobowości [Introduction to personality psychology]. Scholar.

Peñacoba, C., Catala, P., Velasco, L., Carmona‐Monge, F. J., Garcia‐Hedrera, F. J., & Gil‐Almagro, F. (2021). Stress and quality of life of intensive care nurses during the COVID‐19 pandemic: Self‐efficacy and resilience as resources. Nursing in Critical Care, 26, 493–500. https://doi.org/10.1111/nicc.12690

Pervin, L. A., & John, P. O. (2001). Psychologia osobowości [Personality psychology]. Gdańskie Wydawnictwo Psychologiczne.

Preacher, K. J., & Hayes, A. F. (2008). Asymptotic and resampling strategies for assessing and comparing indirect effects in multiple mediator models. Behavior Research Methods, 40, 879–891. https://doi.org/10.3758/BRM.40.3.879

Rathi, N., & Lee, K. (2016). Emotional exhaustion and work attitudes: Moderating effect of personality among frontline hospitality employees. Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality & Tourism, 15, 231–251. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332845.2016.1147935

Schmitt, N. (2007). The interaction of neuroticism and gender and its impact on self-efficacy and performance. Human Performance, 21, 49–61. https://doi.org/10.1080/08959280701522197

Schneider, T. R. (2004). The role of neuroticism on psychological and physiological stress responses. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 40, 795–804. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2004.04.005

Schwarzer, R. (1997). Poczucie własnej skuteczności w podejmowaniu i kontynuacji zachowań zdrowotnych. Dotychczasowe podejścia teoretyczne i nowy model [Self-efficacy in undertaking and continuing health behaviors. Previous theoretical approaches and a new model]. In I. Haszen-Niejodek & H. Sęk (Eds.), Psychologia zdrowia [Health psychology] (pp. 175–205). PWN.

Schwarzer, R., & Jerusalem, M. (1995). Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale. In J. Weinman, S. Wright, & M. Johnston (Eds.), Measures in health psychology: a user’s portfolio. Causal and control beliefs (pp. 35–37). NFER-Nelson.

Schwarzer, R., & Taubert, S. (1999). Radzenie sobie ze stresem. Wymiary i procesy [Coping with stress. Dimensions and processes]. Promocja Zdrowia. Nauki Społeczne i Medycyna, 6, 72–92.

Shahrour, G., & Dardas, L. A. (2020). Acute stress disorder, coping self-efficacy and subsequent psychological distress among nurses amid COVID-19. Journal of Nursing Management, 28, 1686–1695. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.13124

Sikora-Wojtarowicz, K., & Nienartowicz, A. (2015). Funkcjonowanie systemu powiadamiania ratunkowego w Polsce. Założenia i praktyka [Operation of the emergency notification system in Poland. Assumptions and practice]. Rocznik Bezpieczeństwa Międzynarodowego, 9, 220–237. https://doi.org/10.34862/rbm.2015.2.15

Sorokowska, A., Słowińska, A., Zbieg, A., & Sorokowski, P. (2014). Polska adaptacja testu Ten Item Personality Inventory (TIPI) – TIPI-PL – wersja standardowa i internetowa [The Polish adaptation of the Ten Item Personality Inventory (TIPI) – TIPIPL – standard and internet version]. WrocLab.

Strus, W., Cieciuch, J., & Rowiński, T. (2014). The Polish adaptation of the IPIP-BFM-50 questionnaire for measuring five personality traits in the lexical approach. Roczniki Psychologiczne, 17, 347–366.

Tomczak, K. (2009). Style radzenia sobie w sytuacji stresowej, przekonanie o własnej skuteczności, nadzieja na sukces u studentów rozpoczynających i kończących studia [Style of coping with stress, conviction with self-efficacy and hope for success amongst first-year and last-year university students]. Psychoterapia, 149, 67–79.

Vollrath, M., & Torgersen, S. (2000). Personality types and coping. Personality and Individual Differences, 29, 367–378. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0191-8869(99)00199-3

Wałek, T. (2016). System powiadamiania ratunkowego w Polsce. Założenia i praktyka [Emergency system in Poland. Terms of reference and practice]. Security, Economy & Law, 1, 187–195.

Wang, Y., Yao, L., Liu, L., Yang, X., Wu, H., Wang, J., & Wang, L. (2014). The mediating role of self-efficacy in the relationship between Big Five personality and depressive symptoms among Chinese unemployed population: a cross-sectional study. BMC Psychiatry, 14, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-244X-14-61

World Health Organization (2022). Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) weekly epidemiological update and weekly operational update. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/situation-reports

Opublikowane

2023-06-07

Jak cytować

Dymecka, J., Tarczyński, R., & Gerymski, R. (2023). Stress in emergency telephone number operators during the COVID-19 pandemic: the role of self-efficacy and Big Five personality traits. Health Psychology Report, 11(2), 145–155. Pobrano z https://czasopisma.bg.ug.edu.pl/index.php/HPR/article/view/8878

Numer

Dział

Artykuły