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

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.