Date of Conferral
2020
Degree
Ph.D.
School
Psychology
Advisor
Wayne A. Wallace
Abstract
The pressures associated with a career in law enforcement are considerable and often result in significant detriment to an officer's personality, behavior, and overall mental health, ultimately impacting job performance and work engagement. Although there is extensive research on the influence of stress encountered in police work, an understanding of those stressors and ways of coping in the first year of police work has yet to be fully explored. The purpose of this study was to describe the lived experiences of 5 police officers who have been subject to stress in their first year and to identify the coping skills, whether adaptive or maladaptive, used by these individuals. The theoretical framework for this research was grounded in the dynamic system theory of development. A phenomenological approach was used to obtain an understanding of the lived experiences of officers in their first year of policing. Data sources included semi-structured interviews and direct observation. Three themes emerged: external stressors, mental health stigmatization, and emotion-focused coping. Study findings may contribute to positive social change by providing police administrators with insight on prevention, intervention, and treatment strategies for addressing stress among first-year police officers. The promotion of adaptive coping strategies may enhance officers' job performance and mental health. These benefits have the potential to trickle down to the community in the form of better relationships and interactions between police officers and the public.
Recommended Citation
Eaton, Scott David, "Perceptions of Stress and Coping in the First Year of Police Work" (2020). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 9350.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/9350
