Efficacy of the transactional model of stress and coping among firefighters: Integration of team processes as a moderator.

Firefighting is a highly stressful and team-dependent profession. However, widely used frameworks like the transactional model of stress and coping often overlook the role of team processes, the dynamic coordination among team members, in shaping stress responses. This study extends the transactional model of stress and coping by introducing team processes as a moderator, exploring how team processes influence the link between cognitive appraisal and occupational stress through coping strategies. A sample of 481 professional firefighters, aged 25-60, was purposively selected from 36 districts in Punjab, Pakistan. Data were collected using Urdu-adapted, context-specific tools: the Cognitive Appraisal Scale, the Team Process Survey Measure, the Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory, and the Scale of Occupational Stress for Firefighters. A three-wave time-lagged longitudinal design was used with 8-week intervals between each phase. Cognitive appraisal and team processes were assessed at Wave 1, coping strategies at Wave 2, and occupational stress at Wave 3. Cognitive appraisal showed a positive link with problem-focused coping and negative associations with emotion-focused and avoidance coping. Together, these coping strategies explained about 42.9% of the variance in occupational stress. Problem-focused coping reduced stress, while other strategies increased it. Moderated mediation analysis showed that strong team functioning improved the stress-reducing effects of problem-focused coping and lessened the negative effects of other coping styles. This is the first study to integrate team processes into stress and coping theory for firefighters. The findings highlight the need for interventions that enhance both individual coping and team coordination to support firefighter resilience. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).