myAIPMStress and Health in the Police: A Conceptual Framework
Daniela Gutschmidt and Antonio Vera | Policing: A Journal of Policy and Practice
Abstract
"Previous studies have revealed high rates of health problems such as alcohol abuse, posttraumatic stress disorder, heart diseases, and suicidal behaviour in the police. Numerous variables in the context of police work that affect police officers’ health have already been identified. This includes, for example, operational and organizational stressors inherent in policing, prevailing coping styles, and subcultural characteristics. However, a theoretical model that provides a conceptual framework for the empirical findings is still lacking. The present article aims to close this gap by applying the general biopsychosocial model and the vulnerability-stress model on the impact of police stress on health. It starts by giving an overview of the concepts of vulnerability, stress, coping, and health. Based on a review of police stress research, several biological, psychological, and social factors that are particularly relevant in police work are presented. These aspects are then integrated into a conceptual framework."
Introduction
"Policing is considered a very satisfying, yet stressful profession (Anshel, 2000). Previous studies have revealed high rates of health problems such as heart disease, stomach disorders, depression, burnout, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), alcohol abuse, and suicidal behaviour among police officers (Anderson et al., 2002; Anshel, 2000; McCreary and Thompson, 2006; Morash et al., 2006; Papazoglou and Blumberg, 2019), which is often attributed to the stress associated with the police occupation.
Stress generally plays a decisive role in the development of physical and mental illness (Ingram and Luxton, 2005). However, as the interrelationships are complex, a differentiated consideration of the underlying processes is required. First, stressful experiences can also have advantages for mental health and well-being if they are moderate. In fact, people with a history of some lifetime adversity report higher life satisfaction levels than people with both a high history or no history of adversity (Seery et al., 2010). Thus, characteristics of the stressors such as intensity and frequency are relevant. Secondly, not all individuals develop disorders when exposed to stress. Modern models of psychopathology combine vulnerability and stress in order to describe the processes of either maintenance or impairment of health (Ingram and Luxton, 2005). These vulnerability factors include preconditions such as age, gender, personality traits, and social environment. Thirdly, moderating factors, especially coping strategies in response to the stressor, can explain why some individuals maintain their health or even experience growth, while others develop severe disorders. Each of the personal vulnerability factors, stressors, and health consequences can be located on a biological, psychological, and social level. Stress generally has both a physical and a mental component, and in the case of the police, where stressors are usually faced within a group of co-workers, social factors are particularly relevant."
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Stress and Health in the Police: A Conceptual Framework, Daniela Gutschmidt and Antonio Vera, Policing: A Journal of Policy and Practice, 2020