Burnout and Stress Measurement in Police Officers: Literature Review and a Study With the Operational Police Stress Questionnaire

Police body-worn cameras and privacy: Views and concerns of officers and citizens

Police body-worn cameras (BWC) have been lauded for their potential to increase transparency and accountability by documenting officers' actions and interactions with citizens. However, despite their widespread use in recent years, several law enforcement agencies have been hesitant to adopt this technology because of privacy concerns. This article explores the views of police officers and citizens from the Canadian province of Quebec towards the use of BWCs. Specifically, it seeks to: (a) understand how officers feel about being monitored by BWCs and (b) assess citizens' privacy concerns towards police BWCs. A mixed-method research design was used, including interviews and focus groups with 78 police officers, including 46 officers from four pilot sites, and a telephone survey of 1609 residents from the same sites. The results show that officers are concerned about the potential effects of BWCs on their privacy and the privacy of the public. One major area of concern is the impact it may have on their work performance and the use of adaptative measures that support them in carrying out challenging duties. By contrast, most citizens have no reservations about being recorded by a BWC. Certain individual characteristics-such as age and perceptions of the police-however, were associated with heightened privacy concerns. Without neglecting citizens' privacy, this study provides insights into the development of BWC policies that preserve officers' right to privacy and ability to fulfill their duty.

Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms and Predictors Among Spanish Police and Armed Forces During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Spain

OBJECTIVE

To assess the psychological impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the police and armed forces.

METHODS

Participants ( N = 242) completed an online survey that assessed posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), burnout, emotional suppression, and labor and sociodemographic variables. Mean difference, correlation, and stepwise linear regression tests were performed.

RESULTS

One-third of participants showed severe PTSS, linked to patrolling duties, very frequent contact with other people, fear of contagion, perceived pandemic severity, living with at-risk people, taking a COVID-19 test, working more than normal, suffering an assault, having little vacation, and having to distance from loved ones. PTSS also correlated with the burnout dimensions and emotional suppression. Three-quarters had not received any support from their workplace.

CONCLUSIONS

Effective interventions to optimize these professionals' personal, social, and working conditions are needed.

The invisibility of the cognitive cost of military police work

OBJECTIVE

To assess the cognitive cost of work for military police officers in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

METHOD

This is a cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach, carried out with 446 military police officers, of both sexes, distributed between non-commissioned officers and officers, in the 7th, 15th, 20th, 24th and 41st Military Police Battalions. An instrument was used to depict sociodemographic, work, lifestyle and health conditions and a scale for assessing the human cost of work, which analyses the demands of the job through physical, cognitive and affective costs. The data was organized, processed and analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software, version 13.1.

RESULTS

The cognitive cost had the highest means, with severe results (μ = 3.86; SD = 0.86), representing greater demands in relation to the human cost of work among military police officers in the state of Rio de Janeiro and significant associations in relation to obesity, cognitive alterations in attention and memory, age and hours of sleep.

CONCLUSION

In assessing the human cost of work, the cognitive cost was the most demanding in the work context of the military police officers surveyed, presenting a serious risk of illness.

Prevalence of work-related burnout and associated factors among police officers in central Gondar zone, Northwest Ethiopia, 2023

Introduction

Work-related burnout is a state of physical and psychological fatigue and exhaustion resulting from chronic workplace stress related to work. The police workforce is vulnerable to this psychosocial hazard, which affects service delivery by police workers. However, there is little evidence about the prevalence of work-related burnout and associated factors among police officers in Ethiopia. Therefore, this research investigated the prevalence and predictor variables of work-related burnout among police officers in central Gondar zone, Northwest Ethiopia, 2023.

Methods

An institution-based cross-sectional study was carried out from April 12 to May 12, 2023. A sample of 633 police officers was recruited through multistage random sampling techniques. To measure work-related burnout, a standardized, self-administered Copenhagen Burnout Inventory was used. To enter the collected data, EpiData V 4.6 and to analyze SPSS V 26 were used. To examine the association between work-related burnout and its predictor variables, both bivariable (p < 0.2) and multivariable (<0.05) logistic regression analyses were performed, and statistical significance was established via multivariable logistic regression.

Results

The response rate in this study was 96.05% (n = 608). The majority, 452 (74.3%) of the police officers, were male; the median (IQR) age of participants was 28. In the past six months, 45.7% of the police officers had experienced work-related burnout (n = 278). Being female, having a high job demand, having a high level of organizational police stress, having a moderate level of operational police stress, having a high level of operational police stress, experiencing job dissatisfaction, and sleeping troubles were risk factors significantly related to the occurrence of work-related burnout among police officers.

Conclusion

According to this study, a significant number of police officers suffer from burnout due to their work. Police officers' work-related burnout was found to be influenced by factors such as sex, job demands, job satisfaction, workplace stress, organizational police stress, and sleeping troubles. To address this problem, improving the handling of work pressure, developing a stress management program, finding joy at work by improving interpersonal relationships and working conditions, offering support and inspiration to female police officers, and ensuring sufficient and restful sleep are advised.

Stress Inoculation in Police Officers Using Virtual Reality: A Controlled Study

Policing is a highly demanding and stressful profession. Virtual reality (VR) has emerged as a promising tool for enhancing stress management programs, including for police officers. The use of VR in combination with biosensors enables measurement of psychophysiological responses such as peripheral temperature (PT) and skin conductance level (SCL). This study investigated the psychophysiological responses of police officers exposed to a VR scenario simulating a car accident. The study included a total of 63 police officers from the Public Security Police. Participants were divided into three groups based on their police divisions: the Investigation Brigade of Traffic Accidents, the Traffic Surveillance Squad (TSS), and a control group from the Lisbon Metropolitan Command. The results indicated that the VR environment effectively induced psychophysiological arousal, particularly in less experienced officers (TSS), that is, there were significant group differences in mean SCL and PT, showing this group with higher SCL and lower PT during the VR exposure. These results support the potential of VR as a stress inoculation strategy for training police officers and highlight the complex nature of stress responses that are influenced by individual factors and psychopathology.

Work-Related Stress and Psychological Distress among Law Enforcement Officers: The Carolina Blue Project

Law enforcement is a stressful occupation that places significant psychological demands on those serving in this role. However, little is known about the severity of work-related stress and psychological distress among law enforcement officers (LEOs) in North Carolina (NC). This cross-sectional study examined the severity of work-related stress and psychological distress among 283 LEOs in NC. The Maslach Burnout Inventory, the Operational Police Stress Questionnaire, the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale, and the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Checklist were used to assess burnout, operational police stress, depression, anxiety, stress, and PTSD among LEOs. Descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, one-way ANOVA, and Kruskal-Wallis tests were performed. Rural and male LEOs reported higher burnout levels related to depersonalization (i.e., increased mental distance from one's job) compared with their urban and female counterparts. LEOs exposed to toxic materials or performing patrol duties exhibited higher operational police stress levels than those who did not. Caucasian LEOs exhibited higher depression, anxiety, and stress than their African American counterparts. Rural LEOs and LEOs who were exposed to toxic materials displayed higher levels of PTSD than their counterparts. Our findings highlight the need for increased mental health support and better working environments for LEOs.

Relationship between socio-descriptive characteristics, burnout syndrome, and quality of life of employees

Introduction

Burnout syndrome develops as a consequence of chronic stress among employees. The study objective was to examine what socio-descriptive characteristics of employees might be associated with the appearance of the occupational burnout and to evaluate the relationship between job burnout and the quality of life among security employees of the professional private security sector in Central Serbia.

Methods

A multicenter cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was performed. A multivariate logistic regression analysis and ANOVA post choc test was applied.

Results

A total of 353 respondents (330 male and 23 female) participated in the study. Female sex and older age were associated with a higher risk of total burnout and the development of emotional exhaustion while male sex, higher education, and managerial position were associated with higher personal achievement and lower risk of total burnout. Male sex, marital union, two or more children, and direct contact with clients were significantly associated with a lower quality of life of employees. A significant negative correlation was found between total burnout and the Physical Health Composite Score (PHC) score with a correlation coefficient (rs) of -0.265 (95%CI from -0.361 to -0.163); between total burnout and the and Mental Health Composite Score (MHC) score with a rs of -0.391 (95%CI from -0.480 to -0.301); and between total burnout and TQL score with a rs of -0.351 (95%CI from -0.445 to -0.258).

Conclusion

Female sex and older age were associated with a higher risk of total burnout and the development of EE while a managerial position and higher education were protective factors in relation to the development of burnout. Male sex, marital union, two or more children, and direct contact with clients were significantly associated with a lower quality of life of the employees. Shift work significantly reduced the total quality of life, while managerial positions increased the quality of life.

Psychosocial risks and their consequences on health and job satisfaction among Spanish police officers

BACKGROUND

Police officers are exposed to risk and violence, which makes their work highly stressful. According to the Job Demand-Resource model, the working conditions of police officers may affect their health and job satisfaction. The aims of this research were to evaluate the psychosocial factors at work in a sample of municipal police officers from the Valencian Community (Spain) to identify the prevalence of psychosocial risks and their consequences and analyse the influence of psychosocial factors (resource and demands) at work on job satisfaction and health.

METHODS

The Unidad de Investigación Psicosocial de la Conducta Organizacional (UNIPSICO) battery was used to evaluate the prevalence and distribution of different levels of risk and their consequences in police officers (n=103). The influence of psychosocial factors (resource and demands) at work on psychosomatic disorders and job satisfaction was examined using stepwise regression analysis.

RESULTS

All considered variables showed moderate levels of psychosocial risk for the whole sample. As for the consequences of psychosocial risks, moderate levels of psychosomatic disorders and job satisfaction were also observed. Perceived stress levels and organizational stressors have a negative effect on health and job satisfaction.

CONCLUSIONS

To create positive conditions for the health and well-being of police officers, real commitment is required when evaluating psychosocial risks in local police organizations and the establishment of prevention and intervention measures where psychosocial risk factors are detected.

Professional health of instructor-officers with different service experience

OBJECTIVE

Aim: To investigate the levels and indicators of professional deformation in instructor-officers with different service experience as a negative factor in their professional health.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Materials and Methods: The research, which was conducted in 2022-2023, involved 136 instructor-officers of the National Academy of Internal Affairs aged 25-55 years with different service experience (up to 5 years - 21 people, 5-10 years - 45 people, 10-15 years - 42 people, over 15 years - 28 people).

RESULTS

Results: The dynamics of the levels of professional deformation in instructor-officers of higher educational institutions depending on the experience of their service activities have been determined, and the peculiarities of the manifestation of key professional and psychological indicators that affect their professional health in the course of their service activities have been revealed.

CONCLUSION

Conclusions: Professional deformation can be manifested at the initial, middle, and deep levels. The experience of service activities makes adjustments to the formation of professional deformation in instructor-officers because deformational changes in personality occur under the constant influence of the conditions of the profession. With the increase in experience, they become more adapted to stressful phenomena and tense situations of service activities, but the degree of desire to change the type of activity increases. The decrease in proactive attitude and selectivity of contacts during the performance of professional tasks is often accompanied by exhaustion, which indicates a progressive tendency to the development of deformational changes in instructor-officers.

The impact of negative factors of professional activities on the health of law enforcement officers

OBJECTIVE

Aim: To study the study the impact of negative factors of professional activities on the health of law enforcement officers.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Materials and Methods: The research involved 89 law enforcement officers (58 men, and 31 women) who served for a year in practical police units after graduating from a higher educational institution. Methods: analysis and generalization of scientific and methodological literature, anthropometry, physiometry, testing, and statistical methods. The health status was assessed by body mass index, Robinson index, and vital index.

RESULTS

Results: It was found that the body mass index of law enforcement officers for one year of service in practical units deteriorated in both men and women by 1.3 kg/m2 and 0.9 kg/m2, respectively. More negative changes were observed in men. At the same time, after one year of service, the number of men with overweight (27.5 %) and even obesity of the first (13.9 %) and second (5.2 %) degrees increased significantly. In women, the changes were less pronounced. The dynamics of Robinson and vital indices, as well as the level of physical fitness, were also negative.

CONCLUSION

Conclusions: The results of the research indicate a negative impact of professional factors in terms of professional activities on the health of law enforcement officers. It has been found that adherence to the principles of a healthy lifestyle, in particular, a regimen of rationally organized motor activity, is an important area in combating the impact of negative factors of professional activities on the health of law enforcement officers.

C. A, Singh Pradhan PM. Occupational stress and environmental impact among traffic police officers in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal: A qualitative study

Policing is considered an extremely stressful, physically demanding, and mentally challenging occupation. The growing population with an increasing number of vehicles and the harsh working environment has made the work of traffic police even more stressful. This qualitative study aims to examine work and environment-related stressful factors among traffic police officials of Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. This qualitative study used a thematic analysis approach. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with different cadres of 15 traffic police personnel working in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal for at least six months. The study adhered to the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Studies (COREQ) guideline. The findings of this study are structured around five major themes- workload, work-life balance, basic amenities, work environment and occupational health problems, and possible solutions and suggestions. Most of the participants (10 out of 15) reported having work stress due to the heavy workload and hazardous working conditions that had a significant impact on their job performance and mental well-being. This study highlights the challenges faced by traffic police officers in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. The findings suggest that efforts should be made to improve the working environment of traffic police officers to reduce the physical as well as mental burden among them. The occupational health and safety (OHS) and mental well-being of traffic enforcers' is a critical public health issue, therefore, it should be on the agenda of policymakers, organizational leaders, and stakeholders.

Enhancing Self-Reported Assessment of Working Conditions in Policing: Revisiting the Psychometric Properties and Applications of the Police Stress Questionnaire

OBJECTIVES

Policing is recognized as a highly stressful occupation, encompassing stressors not commonly encountered in other fields. In response, police-specific stress scales have been developed and used when studying police work. Despite changes in the composition of police personnel, most studies examining police working conditions focus on sworn police officers (SPO), excluding employees without police education (EWPE). To advance research and practice on stress in the police, align results, and increase the possibilities for comparisons across studies using police-specific measures (PSMs) we conducted a psychometric evaluation of the two scales in the Police Stress Questionnaire (PSQ). We examined whether adding "Not Applicable" to the response scales would reduce vulnerability and make the PSQ more robust.

METHOD

Based on a survey with a randomised sample (N = 560) of SPO and EWPE in the Norwegian Police, we tested the original factor structures of the PSQ through Confirmatory Factor Analysis including tests of factor structures from previous studies.

RESULTS

For all models, the indicators of fit indicated a poor fit with either our whole or stratified sample. The response choice 'Not Applicable' provided extended information for SPOs and EWPEs on the PSQ.

CONCLUSIONS

To promote aligning results and enabling comparisons across studies using the PSQ, we suggest treating the PSQ scales as formative indexes, rather than reflective scales. Adding "Not Applicable" to the response scale offers an influential elaboration of the PSQ with beneficial and extended information. Generalised studies of stress in the police should include the entire population working there.

Path Model Analysis of the Effects of Perceived Formalism, and Fear of COVID-19 on Police Officers' PTSD and Insomnia

This study examines whether law enforcement officers' fear of COVID-19, job burnout, and job stress have increased their PTSD and insomnia during the epidemic. This article introduces the perceived formalism of police agencies into the causal model to explore whether perceived formalism increases the job burnout and job stress of police officers. The formalism of administrative agencies is rarely included in epidemic research. This study collected 306 Taiwanese police officers as research subjects. We used confirmatory factor analysis and SEM for hypothesis testing. The study found that perceived formalism positively affects the job burnout and job stress of police officers. Job stress, fear of COVID-19, and job burnout positively affect PTSD and insomnia.

Validation and Psychometric Properties of the German Operational and Organizational Police Stress Questionnaires

CONTEXT

Working in the police force is an operationally and organizationally stressful job. Suitable psychometric tools are needed to detect and study the psychosocial risks of these professionals. The original version contains 40 items, which may be too long for clinical use or as a research control measure. The main aim of this study is to validate the Police Stress Questionnaire (PSQ) in German. The secondary objective is to validate a shorter version.

METHOD

After translation and counter translation of the PSQ-G by a committee of experts, 10 participants pre-tested the comprehension of an intermediate version, allowing the development of a final version that was submitted to a psychometric validation plan with 2314 German-speaking officers. Structure, reliability, and convergent, divergent, and discriminant validities were tested for each sample.

RESULTS

The German version of the PSQ performed well psychometrically. We have created a short version of 14 items with good psychometric properties, 7 items for each subscale: operational stressors and organizational stressors.

CONCLUSION

This study validated a German version of the PSQ and provides a reliable measure of stress processes in the police force. A short version is now available.

The Impact of Psychological Contract, Physical and Mental Health on Burnout in Grassroots Civil Servants: Evidence from China

Introduction

The report of the 20th Party Congress proposes to build a high-quality cadre capable of taking on the important task of national rejuvenation. Grassroots civil servants are facing great pressure and challenges, and alleviating burnout has become an important issue in the construction of grassroots civil servants. Empirically analysing the impact of psychological contract on burnout of grassroots civil servants in the Chinese context will help to build a high-quality grassroots civil service team.

Methods

Using a sample of 1824 grassroots civil servants in China, this study empirically examined the effect of the psychological contract on burnout among grassroots civil servants using the OLS methodology, conducted a robustness test by way of substituting variables and research methods, and then discussed the mediating effect of physical and mental health in the psychological contract and burnout among grassroots civil servants.

Results

The study showed that grassroots civil servants' psychological contract had a significant negative impact on burnout; transactional psychological contract was positively related to burnout, and relational and developmental psychological contracts were negatively related to burnout in grassroots civil servants. The results of the heterogeneity analysis showed that the effect of psychological contract on burnout differed by age, gender, exercise frequency, and sleep status. The results of the mediation analysis showed that higher psychological contract scores were related to better physical and mental health, thus inhibiting burnout among grassroots civil servants. This indicates a significant mediation effect of physical and mental health in the relationship between psychological contract and burnout of grassroots civil servants.

Conclusion

The psychological contract of grassroots civil servants has a significant negative effect on burnout, and physical and mental health mediate between the two. These conclusions are of great theoretical and practical significance for alleviating the stress of grassroots civil servants and improving their work performance.

Musculoskeletal complaints, postural patterns and psychosocial workplace predictors in police officers from an organizational unit of a German federal state police force - a study protocol

BACKGROUND

Police officers are exposed to a particularly high risk of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and psychosocial stress due to their working conditions. Therefore, the aim of this project will be to assess the occupational physical and mental health of police officers from an organizational unit of the police force of a German federal state.

METHODS

The aim is to analyze at least 200 active police officers of a state police force in Germany between the age of 18 and 65 years. In a mixed-methods design, a video raster stereography-based measurement of the upper body posture and a modified version of the Nordic Questionnaire (NQ) will be used for investigating their physical health, while the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ) and the Operational Police Stress Questionnaire (PSQ-Op) will be used to analyze their mental health. In addition, job-specific psychosocial factors at the workplace will be assessed (using self-designed questions that were previously evaluated in an expert interview).

DISCUSSION

To date, there is a lack of current questionnaire-based data on the prevalence of MSDs in police officers, or of MSDs associated with injuries or psychosocial workplace factors. Thus, in this study, these MSDs will be correlated with quantitative upper body posture data. If these results prove an increased physical and/or psychosocial stress, then the existing workplace health promotion measures should be analyzed and modified if necessary.

Protecting Police Officers Against Burnout: Overcoming a Fragmented Research Field

This study aims to identify the determinants of burnout in police officers. We considered a wide range of psychosocial risk factors, individual variables that have been previously found to be associated with burnout in police officers (affective and cognitive empathy, self-care), and variables whose unique impact on burnout of police officers needs further clarification (organizational justice and organizational identification). The study was conducted in Portugal, and the sample was constituted by 573 members of the National Republican Guard (GNR-Guarda Nacional Republicana). The participants were invited to answer an online anonymous survey, which included previously validated measures of the following variables: burnout (exhaustion and disengagement), psychosocial risk factors, self-care, empathy (cognitive and affective), organizational justice, and organizational identification. Furthermore, we controlled for the potential impact of demographic variables (age, gender, years of professional experience, religiosity, political orientation, and income). Multiple regression analysis showed that when taken together, only a few of the variables associated with burnout had a unique impact on both exhaustion and disengagement: quantitative demands and affective empathy were burnout risk factors; meaningful work, organizational justice (distributive justice, procedural justice, and interactional justice), and organizational identification were burnout protective factors. Our results highlight the importance of developing theoretical models and planning interventions to prevent burnout in police officers, focusing mainly on the above-mentioned variables.

THE IMPACT OF PROFESSIONAL STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS

OBJECTIVE

The aim: To investigate the impact of professional stress on the mental health of law enforcement officers.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Materials and methods: The research involved two groups of law enforcement officers (aged 25-40): the first group with up to 7 years of service activities (n = 52), the second group - 8-15 years (n = 48). Research methods: bibliosemantic, questionnaire, testing, method of system analysis and generalization, mathematical and statistical.

RESULTS

Results: It was found that law enforcement officers of both groups identified indicators of a significant professional workload, lack of adequate rest, and the nature of communication with participants in professional relationships among the factors of professional stress. It is proved that the mental health of law enforcement officers deteriorates under the influence of professional stress with the experience of their professional activities. Law enforcement officers with 8-15 years of service experience have significantly (p < 0.05-0.001) worse indicators of anxiety, aggressiveness, motivation, personal detachment, impulsive¬ness, vigor, and work efficiency.

CONCLUSION

Conclusions: It was established that the professional stress of law enforcement officers is the result of an imbalance between the internal resources of the individual and the requirements of the external environment, embodied in the peculiarities of law enforcement activities. Law enforcement officers are char¬acterized by the presence of professional stress of average and high severity, which increases with the experience of their service activities. A set of measures was proposed to provide psychological assistance to law enforcement officers to effectively counteract professional stress and improve their mental health.

Health, Safety, and Wellness Concerns Among Law Enforcement Officers: An Inductive Approach

Background: Although studies have assessed the impact of occupational risk factors on the health of law enforcement officers (LEO's), few have involved (LEO's) as informants in ways that allow their points of view to be heard directly. Thus, the objective of this study is to explore the occupational health, safety, and wellness (OHSW) concerns of (LEO's). Methods: (LEO's) working in Quebec, Canada were invited to answer an open-ended question regarding their OHSW concerns. Using a multi-stage content analysis, the collected answers were analyzed and coded by two members of the research team to identify the most recurrent concerns of (LEO's). Findings: Five themes relating to the OHSW concerns of (LEO's) were identified, namely, the work schedule, occupational stress, work equipment, workplace health promotion, and operational risks. Furthermore, our analyses highlighted differences in the concerns of (LEO's) based on their level of experience and sex. Conclusions/Application to Practice: This study addresses a gap in the literature on the OHSW concerns from the perspective of (LEO's). Overall, our results support that the work schedule and occupational stress associated with law enforcement are the two most recurrent concerns of (LEO's). Thus, the results of this study further stress the need for police organizations to implement strategies and policies, which could mitigate the deleterious effects of these hazards on the overall wellness of (LEO's).

Chronic stressors and burnout in Dutch police officers: Two studies into the complex role of coping self-efficacy

Introduction

Burnout complaints are high for Dutch police officers. According to Hobfoll's Conservation of Resources theory, resources such as coping self-efficacy can play an important role in the burnout process. The aim of this study was to investigate the buffering effect of coping self-efficacy on burnout, as well as a possible depletion effect of burnout on coping self-efficacy.

Methods

As such, this research consists of two studies namely, a two-wave study (N = 166) and three-wave study (N = 95) on Dutch police officers. They expand on previous research regarding coping resources and police burnout.

Results

Both studies show that the chronic stressor, work scheduling, was positively associated with burnout. Also, coping self-efficacy weakened the effect of work scheduling (Study 1) and workload (Study 2) on burnout. Moreover, there was a direct negative relationship between burnout and coping self-efficacy.

Discussion

The results indicate that burnout can lead to lower coping resources, initiating a potential cycle of resource loss and burnout. Further investigation into this depletion effect is required to provide police officers and organisations with tools to prevent burnout.

Emergency First Responders and Professional Wellbeing: A Qualitative Systematic Review

Emergency first responders (EFRs) such as police officers, firefighters, paramedics and logistics personnel often suffer high turnover due to work-related stress, high workloads, fatigue, and declining professional wellbeing. As attempts to counter this through resilience programmes tend to have limited success, there is a need for further research into how organisational policies could change to improve EFRs' professional wellbeing.

AIM

To identify the factors that may contribute to or affect EFRs' professional wellbeing.

METHODS

A systematic literature review has been carried out. Three databases (Science Direct, ProQuest, and PubMed) were searched using keywords developed based on the PICo (population, interest, and context) framework. A total of 984 articles were extracted. These were then critically appraised for the quality of the evidence presented, leading to a total of five being ultimately included for review.

RESULTS

Thematic analysis revealed that although EFRs may be exposed daily to traumatic events, factors that contribute to a decline in professional wellbeing emerge from within the organisational environment, rather than from the event itself.

CONCLUSION

The study concludes that organisational and team relations factors significantly impact EFRs ability to cope with stress. As such, organisational policy should evolve to emphasise team relations over resilience programmes.

Association between Working Time and Burnout Syndrome in Peruvian Military during the Second Epidemic Wave of COVID-19

There is scant evidence on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on burnout in front-line military personnel and how working time may influence on this condition. We aimed to determine the association between working time and Burnout syndrome in military personnel. A cross-sectional study was conducted using secondary data among 576 military personnel from Lambayeque, Peru during the second wave of COVID-19 in 2021. We used the Maslach Burnout Inventory instrument to measure Burnout Syndrome. We evaluated its association with work time, measured as the number of months that the military member worked during the pandemic. The prevalence of burnout syndrome was 9%. Of the total sample, 39.1% and 10.3% presented depersonalization and emotional exhaustion, respectively. Military personnel working for more than 18 months had a 104% higher prevalence of Burnout syndrome (PR: 2.04, 95%CI: 1.02-4.10). Exposure to a prolonged work time during the pandemic increased the prevalence of Burnout syndrome in military personnel. This information helps to understand the potential effects of the pandemic on this population and provides insight into the time the military members would need rest to prevent Burnout syndrome.

Workplace aggression, wellbeing, and job satisfaction: The specificity in border police organizations

In male-dominated work contexts, the challenges faced by women and their impact on wellbeing and work attitudes have been documented, most extensively in other than police organizations. This study was conducted as a cross-sectional quantitative descriptive correlational predictive study to validate a model of relationships among workplace aggression, job satisfaction, and wellbeing at work with a sample of 1,066 female and male officers from the Romanian Border Police. The results obtained in the study showed that no differential gender effects were found, although women reported higher levels of workplace aggression than men (1.61 vs. 1.52; F = 4.20, p = 0.04). Also, workplace aggression significantly and negatively predicted job satisfaction (R 2 = 0.27) and wellbeing at work (R 2 = 0.31). In conclusion, although this research is an exploratory approach to the study of workplace aggression in the Romanian police organization, it can generate interventions that would lead to the reduction of undesirable behaviors such as verbal aggression, malicious jokes, discrimination, perception of inequalities, gossip, and defamatory words. In the future lines of research, different sources and conditions of victims and witnesses can be considered the. We also studied the limitations of the study and the future lines of research.

Analysis of burnout and its influencing factors among prison police

Background

Burnout among prison police is an occupational health issue in the field of public health. Although burnout has been a hot issue for decades, there has not been a focus on the specific group of prison police. This study explores the burnout status and its influencing factors among prison police.

Methods

The Maslach Burnout Questionnaire-General Survey (MBI-GS) was used to conduct a questionnaire survey among 1,024 prison police.

Results

It indicates that emotional exhaustion, negative detachment, and self-efficacy were the most significant dimensions of the burnout among prison police officers. The results of multiple linear regression analysis showed that gender (-0.201, P = 8.8958E-11 <0.05), workload (-0.441, P = 1.6287E-9 <0.05), whether they have direct contact with supervisory subjects (-0.394, P = 2.1449E-39 <0.05), and a sense of organizational support (-0.298, P = 3.7182E-7 <0.05) were risk factors for burnout in prison police.

Conclusions

Burnout among prison officers can be reduced through preferential treatment of prison police, sound organizational mechanisms, and self-improvement of prison police.

Profiling Police Forces against Stress: Risk and Protective Factors for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Burnout in Police Officers

Police officers are frequently exposed to highly stressful situations at work and have an increased risk to develop symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and burnout (BO). It is currently not well understood which officers are most at risk to develop these disorders. The aim of this study was to determine which coping strategies and personality traits could act as protective or risk factors in relation to PTSD and BO. The second aim, in the interest of designating preventive and therapeutical measures, was to determine whether certain profiles of police officers could be identified as high risk for developing mental disorders. Herein, 1073 French-speaking police officers in Switzerland reported in an online survey about their PTSD and BO symptoms, anxiety, depression, suicide ideation, coping strategies, occupational stress, and personality factors. The cluster analysis highlighted three principal profiles of police officers: those who are not at risk of developing pathologies because they are not exposed or insensitive to these stressors, and those who are, among which personality and coping strategies oriented the risk of developing PTSD or BO. These same protective and risk factors were also corroborated in the linear and logistic regression analyses. These results may suggest that a crucial opportunity for mitigating mental health issues in the force could consist of screening recruits for risk-related personality traits and orienting them towards psychological training programs for the development of functional coping strategies.

Burnout Among School Teachers During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Jazan Region, Saudi Arabia

Background

Burnout is a syndrome that results from stressors in the work environment that have not been successfully managed. The prevalence of burnout among schoolteachers was always controversial. COVID-19 pandemic added more stressors to teachers since they had to change their working styles in response to the pandemic lockdowns or curfews. In Saudi Arabia, the prevalence and determinants of burnout among school teachers were not measured by any other group during the COVID-19 pandemic stressors.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 879 teachers in the Jazan region, Saudi Arabia, using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), during April 2021. Multistage cluster random sampling was used.

Results

The mean age of the participants was 41.4 (±6.9) years. Male teachers represented 52.6% of the participants while females represented 47.4%. Most teachers showed burnout symptoms (69.6%). Consequences of burnout were observed, such as using psychotropic medications (4.6%), absenteeism (45.6%), lack of job satisfaction (7.7%), and changing schools (15.8%). Using the MBI scale, most teachers showed medium or high emotional exhaustion (57.6%), low depersonalization (62.2%), and low personal accomplishment (51.4%).

Conclusion

Most teachers showed symptoms of burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic. Being an expert and ability to adapt to technology during the COVID-19 pandemic proved to effectively reduce burnout symptoms. Increasing incentives, early detection, and improving the work environment is recommended to diminish burnout consequences.

A Qualitative Analysis of the Mental Health Training and Educational Needs of Firefighters, Paramedics, and Public Safety Communicators in Canada

Background-Public safety personnel (PSP) are at heightened risk of developing mental health challenges due to exposures to diverse stressors including potentially psychologically traumatic experiences. An increased focus on protecting PSP mental health has prompted demand for interventions designed to enhance resilience. While hundreds of available interventions are aimed to improve resilience and protect PSPs' mental health, research evidence regarding intervention effectiveness remains sparse. Methods-Focus groups with PSP elicited a discussion of psychoeducational program content, preferred modes of program delivery, when such training should occur, and to whom it ought to be targeted. Results-The results of thematic analyses suggest that PSP participants feel that contemporary approaches to improving mental health and resilience are lacking. While welcomed, the provision of sporadic one-off mental health and resilience programs by organizations was seen as insufficient, and the available organizational mental health supports were perceived as being questionable. The available programs also left participants feeling insufficiently prepared to deal with personal mental health problems and in discussing mental health concerns with co-workers. Conclusions-Participants reported needing more engaging methods for delivering information, career-long mental health knowledge acquisition, and a systems approach to improve the workplace culture, particularly regarding mental health.

Prevalence and factors associated with symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress among traffic police officers in Kathmandu, Nepal: a cross-sectional survey

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to assess the prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress, associated factors and stress-coping strategies among traffic police officers in Kathmandu, Nepal.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional survey.

SETTING

Kathmandu Valley, Nepal.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 300 traffic police officers working under the different traffic units of Kathmandu Valley for at least 6 months were recruited via a simple random sampling procedure.

PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES

State of depression, anxiety and stress among traffic police officers based on the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale.

SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES

Coping strategies under stressful conditions based on the Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory (Brief-COPE) tool.

RESULTS

Altogether 124 (41.3%) traffic police officers had symptoms of depression, 141 (47%) had anxiety symptoms and 132 (44%) had symptoms of stress. Smoking was significantly associated with an increased likelihood of experiencing symptoms of depression (adjusted OR (AOR): 10.7, 95% CI: 4.8 to 23.6), anxiety (AOR: 7.1, 95% CI: 3.4 to 14.9) and stress (AOR: 6.8, 95% CI: 3.3 to 14.1). Similarly, longer working hours was significantly associated with higher odds of experiencing symptoms of depression (AOR: 3.4, 95% CI: 1.8 to 6.4), anxiety (AOR: 2.3, 95% CI: 1.3 to 3.9) and stress (AOR: 1.9, 95% CI: 1.1 to 3.4), and lack of physical exercise was associated with an increased likelihood of exhibiting depressive symptoms (AOR: 2.3, 95% CI: 1.1 to 4.7). Participants in this study used positive coping strategies more than negative coping strategies.

CONCLUSION

Our study found a high prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress symptoms among traffic police officers in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. Smoking and longer working hours were associated with an increased likelihood of experiencing symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress, and lack of physical exercise was associated with an increased likelihood of depressive symptoms.

Suicide Trends in the Italian State Police during the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: A Comparison with the Pre-Pandemic Period

The pandemic is posing an occupational stressor for law enforcement personnel. Therefore, a high priority is the need to quantify this phenomenon and put supportive programs in place. During the pandemic period, the Italian State Police implemented different support programs for the personnel. These included a national toll-free number to provide information on COVID-19 to police staff, availability of a health care service by doctors and nurses at the national level, vaccination services, working remotely, and a psychological intervention protocol called “Together we can” (“Insieme Possiamo”). Our study firstly aims to perform a descriptive analysis of the suicide in the Italian police from 2016 to 2021, and secondly aims to compare the pandemic and pre-pandemic periods. During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic (February 2020 to October 2021), the suicide rate in the State Police did not significantly increase compared to the pre-pandemic period, showing a stable trend with a not significant decrease in the suicide rate. The implementation of staff support services by the Central Directorate of Health of the Italian State Police and individual resilience aspects of the Police personnel in response to the pandemic may have positively affected the phenomenon. These aspects pave the way to further studies on the issue to improve preventive strategies.

Healthcare Services and Formal Caregiver's Psychosocial Risk Factors: An Observational Study

The prevention and management of chronic disease primarily requires risk reduction measures, through strategic coordination across various government areas. Recognizing that health workers and the public health workforce are integral to building strong and resilient health, the present study analyses the relation between Psychosocial Risk Factors (PRFs, to which formal caregivers are exposed in the healthcare settings), and the work system related elements of the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS 3.0) framework. An empirical study was carried out, involving 333 formal caregivers of healthcare services. A total of 31 PRFs were assessed (using the COPSOQ III), making it possible to find a relationship between the PRFs analyzed with three elements of the work system, namely Task (5 PRFs), Organizational factors (17 PRFs), and Individual (9 PRFs). The present work contributes not only in terms of outcomes that allow the development of mental illness prevention and mental health promotion actions for healthcare formal caregivers, but also in terms of the relevance that these factors can have on the quality of health services, as well as their users (patients), in line with SEIPS 3.0 model.

Effects of a Yoga-Based Stress Intervention Program on the Blood Pressure of Young Police Officers: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Objectives: Despite improvements in health education and treatment, arterial hypertension remains a major health problem of increasing epidemiological importance. The purpose of this randomized controlled trial was to determine the impact of regular yoga breathing exercises on blood pressure, work-related stress, and the prevalence of arterial hypertension in young police academy trainees with no existing comorbidities. Design: A single-center, prospective, randomized controlled trial. Subjects: The study included 120 healthy trainees aged between 18 and 39 years who practiced weekly yoga exercises with an emphasis on breathing (prāṇāyāma) over an observation period of 6 months. Results: These regular exercises lowered the blood pressure of the participants by 1.34 mmHg (right arm, p = 0.007), increased their regenerative capacity (Recovery Experience Questionnaire [REQ] scale +2.77, p < 0.001) and resilience (Resilience Scale [RS] +4.6, p = 0.001), and concomitantly reduced the level of perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale [PSS] -0.9, p < 0.001). In contrast, blood pressure in the control group had slightly increased over the study period by 0.1 mmHg (right arm, p < 0.001) and 1.0 mmHg (left arm, p = 0.03), and subjective scores had significantly worsened (REQ scale -3.4, p < 0.001; RS -2.29, p = 0.001; PSS +0.88, p < 0.001). Conclusions: The results point to a significant correlation between blood pressure and both regenerative capacity and stress level. Thus, the study confirms the hypothesis that yoga exercises reduce perceived stress and exert positive effects on blood pressure. Clinical Trial Registration Number: DRKS00025921.

Impact of Mindfulness Training on Spanish Police Officers' Mental and Emotional Health: a Non-Randomized Pilot Study

Objectives

The purpose of this exploratory non-randomized controlled study was to determine the acceptance and effectiveness of an 8-week mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) co-designed by a police officer.

Methods

A pretest-posttest control group design was followed. Participants (MBI group = 20; control group = 18) answered baseline and post-training self-reported measures. In addition, the weekly emotional state of the MBI group was collected. Paired-samples t-test and analysis of covariance were performed for pre-post within-group and between-group differences, respectively, as well as linear mixed effects analysis of repeated measures for week-by-week data.

Results

High acceptance and attendance rates, as well as significant pre-post within-group differences in the MBI group in mindfulness (η² = 0.43), self-compassion (η² = 0.43), depression (η² = 0.54), anxiety (η² = 0.46), stress (η² = 0.51), difficulties in emotion regulation, sleep quality (η² = 0.57), and burnout (η² = 0.31–0.47), were identified. Moreover, police officers who underwent the MBI experienced a week by week decrease of anger, disgust, anxiety, sadness, and desire. Finally, after adjusting for pre-test scores, significant between-group differences were found in the way of attending to internal and external experiences (observing mindfulness facet; η_p² = 0.21), depression symptoms (η_p² = 0.23), general distress (η_p² = 0.24), and the degree of physical and psychological exhaustion (personal burnout; η_p² = 0.20).

Conclusions

The preliminary effectiveness of this MBI on psychopathology and quality of life outcomes in Spanish police officers was discussed. Previous evidence regarding the promising use of MBIs in this population was supported.

Law Enforcement Pathways to Mental Health: Secondary Traumatic Stress, Social Support, and Social Pressure

The mental health of law enforcement officers (LEO) is critical to the safety and well-being of the officers and the public they serve. However, LEO face significant on-the-job stressors that undermine mental health, and there is a lot to be learned about when and how LEO seek and enter mental health services. The present study sought to explore variables related to mental health seeking behavior, the role of social engagement and social pressure in the decision to seek mental health services, and the most common pathways into mental health utilized by LEO. A small sample of 86 LEO were recruited from the social media page of a law enforcement nonprofit support organization to take several self-report measures on past mental health service usage and intentions to seek future services, the Inventory of Attitudes Toward Seeking Mental Health Services, the Professional Quality of Life Survey, and a measure of social engagement on mental health topics. Results indicate that while a number of factors are associated with intentions to seek future services, the primary factor in past mental health seeking behavior was secondary traumatic stress. Those who sought mental health services reported higher social engagement and social pressure to seek help. LEO entered mental health services for a variety of reasons and through a variety of provider options, such that no one provider source was preferred. Though the present study was limited by a small sample size, reliance on self-report measures, and occurred during a time of civil unrest that sparked the "defund the police" movement, the results serve as a starting point for understanding the pathways into mental health services for LEO and the roles of secondary trauma and prior mental health service experience.

Occupational Stress in Spanish Police Officers: Validating the Effort-Reward Imbalance Questionnaire

The Effort-Reward Imbalance Questionnaire (hereinafter, ERIQ) has been largely used worldwide to assess job stress, but it has not yet been applied in Spanish police. The objective of this study was to examine the construct validity and the internal consistency of the ERIQ in police officers. A cross-sectional study was carried out, using a nonprobability sampling (quota). A total of 217 Spanish police officers participated, 192 men (88.47%) and 25 women (11.53%). The mean age was 41 years (SD = 7.51). These police officers completed the ERIQ together with some other questionnaires (DECORE-21, MBI, GHQ and STAI) in order to provide evidence for validity based on the relationships to other constructs. A confirmatory factor analysis was performed and a matrix of correlations with the rest of constructs was created. The results showed an appropriate fit to the original model consisting of three scales. In addition, the scales of the ERIQ presented the expected relationship with the other constructs. The ERIQ is a valid instrument for assessing occupational stress in Spanish police officers and can improve the interventions in this professional group.

Job Stress, Burnout and Coping in Police Officers: Relationships and Psychometric Properties of the Organizational Police Stress Questionnaire

Policing is a stressful occupation, which impairs police officers' physical/mental health and elicits burnout, aggressive behaviors and suicide. Resilience and coping facilitate the management of job stress policing, which can be operational or organizational. All these constructs are associated, and they must be assessed by instruments sensitive to policing idiosyncrasies. This study aims to identify operational and organizational stress, burnout, resilient coping and coping strategies among police officers, as well to analyze the psychometric properties of a Portuguese version of the Organizational Police Stress Questionnaire. A cross-sectional study, with online questionnaires, collected data of 1131 police officers. With principal components and confirmatory factor analysis, PSQ-org revealed adequate psychometric properties, despite the exclusion of four items, and revealed a structure with two factors (poor management and lack of resources, and responsibilities and burden). Considering cut-off points, 88.4% police officers presented high operational stress, 87.2% high organizational stress, 10.9% critical values for burnout and 53.8% low resilient coping, preferring task-orientated than emotion and avoidance coping. Some differences were found according to gender, age and job experience. Job stress and burnout correlated negatively with resilient coping, enthusiasm towards job and task-orientated coping. Results reinforce the importance to invest on police officers' occupational health.

T, Aguayo-Extremera R, Albendín-García L. Study of the Predictive Validity of the Burnout Granada Questionnaire in Police Officers

Professionals with burnout have negative physical and psychological effects, with adverse consequences in their workplace. Burnout mainly affects assisting professions; amongst them, police work is one of the professions at risk of suffering from this syndrome. The aim of this research is to study the adequacy of the Maslach Burnout Inventory and Granada Burnout Questionnaire instruments to measure burnout in police officers through the study of the reliability and validity (concurrent and predictive) of these instruments. A cross-sectional study was carried out. The sample was composed of 1884 police officers, mostly men (85.4%), with an average age of 35.04 (SD = 8.30). The Maslach Burnout Inventory and Granada Burnout Questionnaire were used to measure burnout. The results obtained in this study support the adequacy of both instruments for measuring burnout. The correlation coefficients between the dimensions are significant, with a medium-high magnitude. Participants with burnout had significantly higher scores in emotional exhaustion and depersonalization and lower scores in personal accomplishment in both instruments. The area under the curve estimated for the Granada Burnout Questionnaire provided evidence of the predictive validity of the instrument. The police profession needs validated and sensitive tools to identify police changes in the dimensions of burnout. The Granada Burnout Questionnaire instrument correctly classifies burnout in police professionals.