Couple and Family Psychology: Research and Practice, Vol 12(1), Mar 2023, 1-10; doi:10.1037/cfp0000165
First responders have an increased risk of vocational trauma exposure, with a potentially adverse effect on the quality of their romantic relationships. The present study evaluates stress and strain models with regard to the link between posttraumatic stress (PTS) and perceived romantic relationship quality in a sample of first responders (N = 93). Participants were recruited from two urban fire departments in the Pacific Northwest, and data were collected via an online survey. In addition to evaluating the direct relationship between PTS and romantic relationship quality, the study also evaluated four coping variables as moderators in order to better understand conditions under which PTS effects relationship quality. Results indicated that more PTS symptoms were associated with lower romantic relationship quality (r = −.39, p