Thriving Under Threat: A Scoping Review of Human Thriving in Recurring Potentially Traumatic, Elevated Threat and High Stress Work Environments.

Abstract

In this scoping review, we explore the concept of human thriving in work populations that are repeatedly exposed to high stress, elevated threat, and potential trauma-professions such as first responders and front-line military personnel. The concept of thriving, defined as the joint experience of development and success, shares some similarities with other psychological concepts (e.g., resilience, posttraumatic growth, flourishing), but is distinct due to the consideration of physical wellbeing, and success (e.g., performance). It is posited that thriving offers a more holistic approach to understanding human functioning and is flexible enough to be applied to a variety of populations. We aimed to synthesis the existing literature on human thriving in high stress and recurring trauma occupations, and report factors that enable individuals to thrive. Database searches were conducted in CINAHL, Embase, Medline, and PsycINFO. The review adhered to recommended guidelines including the PRISMA extension for scoping reviews. Eight hundred and thirty-two original sources were identified and underwent title and abstract review, with 149 retained for full text review and 28 retained for data extraction. Whilst no articles were found that utilised 'thriving' as the central concept of investigation in relevant occupational settings (i.e., high stress, recurring trauma), the final sample retained 28 articles that focused on one or more components of thriving (26 quantitative, one mixed method and one qualitative study). Occupations included police officers, paramedics, firefighters, and military personnel. Personal factors identified that align with the thriving framework included resilience, posttraumatic growth and subjective wellbeing. Coping styles also appeared to be related to an individual's ability to thrive with findings suggesting that an active coping style is linked to greater wellbeing, and that an avoidant coping may be helpful during a stressful event. Contextual factors identified included social support from colleagues and supervisors, shared humour, and positive human connection. For individuals in occupations where they are regularly exposed to recurring trauma and stress, and the corresponding negative impacts, finding ways to facilitate thriving may have significant social, psychological, and organisational benefits. Understanding how individuals thrive and positively adapt to disruptions may inform workplace education and interventions and assist in supporting these vital workforces.