How Do Meaning in Life and Positive Affect Relate to Adaptation to Stress? The Case of Firefighters Following the Mount Carmel Forest Fire

Background: We examined how positive affect (PA) and meaning in life (MIL) conjointly regulate posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and perceived coping self-efficacy. Hypotheses were guided by a recent holistic model, according to which PA and MIL should compensate for each other in relating to adaptation to high stress. Method: The sample included 75 Israeli firefighters who took active part in extinguishing the 2010 Mount Carmel forest fire. Results: PA and MIL helped to compensate for the other, demonstrating that when one of them was low, the other related to higher adaptation. That is, under low MIL, PA related to PTSD symptoms and coping self-efficacy, and under low PA, MIL related to PTSD symptoms and coping self-efficacy. Limitation: The study design was cross-sectional and therefore precluded any causal inferences. Conclusions: The findings lend additional support to the holistic model and help to understand how subjective well-being and MIL correlate with adaptation to stress.