German Adaptation and Validation of the Firefighter Coping Self‐Efficacy Scale

ABSTRACT

Firefighters frequently encounter traumatic events in the course of their duties, placing them at heightened risk of developing psychological distress, including post‐traumatic stress disorder, depression, burnout, and suicidal tendencies. Coping self‐efficacy, defined as the belief in one's own ability to cope with stress and recover from stressful experiences, has been identified as an important protective factor. The Firefighter Coping Self‐Efficacy Scale (FFCSE) is a domain‐specific instrument for measuring this construct, for which no German version was previously available. This study aimed to translate and psychometrically evaluate a German FFCSE version using a sample of professional and volunteer firefighters from Bavaria, Germany ( N  = 1213). Confirmatory factor analyses supported a theoretically derived three‐factor solution comprising Medical, Operational, and Posttraumatic subscales, which demonstrated the best fit among competing models and acceptable overall fit. The scale showed internal consistency of α  = 0.898 for the total scale and α  = 0.777–0.867 for the subscales. Construct validity was supported by significant correlations with depression, anxiety, stress, well‐being, life satisfaction, resilience, and general self‐efficacy. Scalar measurement invariance was established across all relevant subgroups, supporting the validity of group comparisons. Professional firefighters demonstrated higher coping self‐efficacy than volunteers, and psychosocial training showed positive associations with coping self‐efficacy. The German FFCSE provides a psychometrically evaluated instrument for research, training, and preventive measures in German‐speaking fire departments.