Measuring perceived efficacy for coping with posttraumatic stress disorder in the workplace

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Harris, J. Irene^{a; c; *} | Strom, Thad Q.^{b; c} | Erbes, Christopher R.^{b; c; d} | Ruzek, Josef^{e; f; g}

Affiliations: [a] Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital, Bedford, MA, USA | [b] Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN, USA | [c] University of Minnesota, Department of Psychiatry, Minneapolis, MN, USA | [d] Center for Chronic Disease Outcomes Research, Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN, USA | [e] U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD, Menlo Park, CA, USA | [f] Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA | [g] Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, CA, USA

Correspondence: [*] Address for correspondence: J. Irene Harris, Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital, Bedford, MA, USA. E-mail: [email protected].

Abstract: BACKGROUND:PTSD is associated with high levels of vocational difficulty, and research on relationships between PTSD and vocational adjustment may be relevant to vocational rehabilitation services to achieve optimal outcomes. Veteran perception of ability to cope with stressors in the workplace setting may play a role in rehabilitation outcome. OBJECTIVE:This article outlines preliminary steps in the development of the Vocational Efficacy in Trauma Survivors Scale (VETSS), to measure perceived efficacy in managing PTSD symptoms in the workplace. This has potential to expand future options for research in vocational rehabilitation for veterans with PTSD. METHODS:Veterans in outpatient treatment for PTSD at a large, mid-western Veterans Affairs Health Care System facility responded to items on the proposed instrument and items on other measures of vocational and psychological functioning to assess the potential validity of items for an instrument to measure vocational self-efficacy among veterans managing PTSD. RESULTS:In a sample of 63 working veterans who receive outpatient care for PTSD, exploratory factor analysis identified two viable subscales, one tapping Workplace Coping, and another tapping Self-Disclosure. CONCLUSIONS:Preliminary findings indicate that the measure demonstrated acceptable indications of reliability and validity, suggesting promise for future use in vocational rehabilitation research.

Keywords: Veteran, vocational rehabilitation, social support, measurement

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-192929

Journal: Work, vol. 63, no. 2, pp. 283-289, 2019