title: Social support, stress, and suicidal ideation in professional firefighters.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To hypothesize that social support may protect against the effect of firefighter stress on suicidal ideation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Overall, 334 firefighters completed measures of occupational stress, social support, and suicidal ideation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At high levels of social support, no association was observed between occupational stress and suicidal ideation (φ = -.06, ns); however, when social support was low, occupational stress showed a positive association with suicidal ideation (φ = .16, p < .05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The association between occupational stress and suicidal ideation may be reduced by social support. Further research on this topic is warranted.
authors.affiliation: Baylor Scott & White Warriors Research Institute, Waco, TX, USA. suzybird@aol.com.
authors.forename: Grace Stephanie J
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Carpenter
authors.affiliation: Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Thomas P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Carpenter
authors.affiliation: Durham Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Nathan A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Kimbrel
authors.affiliation: Baylor Scott & White Warriors Research Institute, Waco, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Elisa J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Flynn
authors.affiliation: Baylor Scott & White Warriors Research Institute, Waco, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Michelle L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Pennington
authors.affiliation: New York City Fire Department Counseling Services Unit, New York City, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cammarata
authors.affiliation: VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Rose T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Zimering
authors.affiliation: VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Barbara W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Kamholz
authors.affiliation: Baylor Scott & White Warriors Research Institute, Waco, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Suzy B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Gulliver
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D061388:Firefighters / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000523:psychology*; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D059020:Suicidal Ideation