Coping Strategies as a Mediator of Hardiness and Stress among Rescue Workers

ABSTRACT The current study intends to explore the mediating role of coping strategies in the stress-hardiness relationship among rescue workers of Gujrat. A sample of 151 rescue workers was taken from Gujrat by using the convenience sampling technique. Personal Views Survey III-R (PVSIII-R) by Maddi (2001), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) by Cohen (1994) and Brief Cope Inventory (BCI) by Carver (1997) were individually administered to the participants to investigate the hardiness, stress and coping strategies, respectively. Findings of Pearson Product Moment Correlation indicated significant negative correlations among stress and hardiness, stress and problem-focused coping, and positive relationship between stress and avoidant coping. Mediation analysis revealed that coping plays a mediating role between stress and hardiness. These findings hold implications for rescue workers so that they can increase levels of hardiness and ameliorate the usage of effective coping strategies to cope with stressful situations.