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Role Identity, Dissonance, and Distress among Paramedics

Author

Listed:
  • Justin Mausz

    (Peel Regional Paramedic Services, Brampton, ON L6V 4R5, Canada
    Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada)

  • Elizabeth Anne Donnelly

    (School of Social Work, The University of Windsor, Windsor, ON N9A 0C5, Canada)

  • Sandra Moll

    (School of Rehabilitation Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 1C7, Canada)

  • Sheila Harms

    (Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8N 3K7, Canada)

  • Meghan McConnell

    (Department of Innovation in Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1G 5Z3, Canada)

Abstract

Role identity theory describes the purpose and meaning in life that comes, in part, from occupying social roles. While robustly linked to health and wellbeing, this may become unideal when an individual is unable to fulfill the perceived requirements of an especially salient role in the manner that they believe they should. Amid high rates of mental illness among public safety personnel, we interviewed a purposely selected sample of 21 paramedics from a single service in Ontario, Canada, to explore incongruence between an espoused and able-to-enact paramedic role identity. Situated in an interpretivist epistemology and using successive rounds of thematic analysis, we developed a framework for role identity dissonance wherein chronic, identity-relevant disruptive events cause emotional and psychological distress. While some participants were able to recalibrate their sense of self and understanding of the role, for others, this dissonance was irreconcilable, contributing to disability and lost time from work. In addition to contributing a novel perspective on paramedic mental health and wellbeing, our work also offers a modest contribution to the theory in using the paramedic context as an example to consider identity disruption through chronic workplace stress.

Suggested Citation

  • Justin Mausz & Elizabeth Anne Donnelly & Sandra Moll & Sheila Harms & Meghan McConnell, 2022. "Role Identity, Dissonance, and Distress among Paramedics," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(4), pages 1-16, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:4:p:2115-:d:748522
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Nurok, Michael & Henckes, Nicolas, 2009. "Between professional values and the social valuation of patients: The fluctuating economy of pre-hospital emergency work," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 68(3), pages 504-510, February.
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