I. Problem Statement
The men and women who take on careers as police officers go into the job with excitement and vigor, feeling like they will save the world one arrest at a time. As their careers advance, officers will experience several stressful incidents, but the real stress can also be outside of work. This profession is stressful. They consistently put their lives at risk to preserve safe areas. Although stress is an element of life, frequent exposure to it affects the health of officers both emotionally and physiologically. The impact that a career in law enforcement has on a person can lead to more personal problems than professional problems if not managed properly. This study is going to scrutinize the association between law-enforcement work-related stressors and health issues. It will mainly discuss stress-producing factors in detail. Each factor will be studied separately. This will help police agencies train officers in the prevention and management of stress in the workplace.
To ordinary people or the public, this profession is very attractive in terms of excitement and passion. They want to enter it because of its thrilling nature. However, the reality is different. This is undoubtedly a rewarding profession, but the nature of the job makes it a difficult one. Police officers perform very nerve-racking duties. They face dangerous criminals daily. They are exposed daily to diverse situations demanding psychological and physical capabilities. With the use of their abilities, they have to perform their duties professionally and effectively. There are few professions that involve the same situation.
II. Factors
There are many different types of factors or stressors that affect their health. These include both internal and external factors. External factors include all the dangers and threats faced while performing their duties, as well as low esteem in society. Internal factors include negative attitudes toward higher management and health- and behavior-related issues. These are manifested in absenteeism, physical illness, emotional detachment from many aspects of daily life, and even suicide in extreme cases.
Each factor is a problem officers may experience during their careers. Examples include strenuous activities at work, shift changes, and perceived hazards related to police work. There are also physiological health concerns reported by police officers. Due to the tense environment, they suffer from high blood pressure, headaches, and even back pain. As their lives become less balanced, they also develop psychosocial and behavioral problems. Included in the list are the consumption of alcohol and cigarettes, among other substances. Drug and alcohol abuse among officers is common, especially as their careers progress. The effects of these factors vary from person to person.
“Typically, they are classified into four main groups, namely organizational stressors, operational stressors, external stressors, and personal stressors” (Dempsey & Forst, 2013). “Among the most serious stressors are operational stressors, e.g., experiencing tragedy in the line of duty” (Violanti & Aron, 1994). “The second group of equally serious stressors is organizational stressors, e.g., shift change, quasi-military style, lack of departmental support for officers when in need, etc.” (Shane, 2010; Violanti & Aron, 1994). Work-related stressors, irrespective of their kind, are recognized as a source of adverse effects on employee health. These factors have negative effects in the form of physiological problems in workers. These problems include “heart attacks, joint pains, headaches, high blood pressure, backaches, diabetes, as well as paralytic stroke.” Research related to this profession demonstrates that police officers are more likely to have health-related issues, for example, “cardiovascular problems, back pain, anxiety problems, depression, and sleep disorders compared to the general public.”
Police officers are at higher risk of health-related problems. This is due to the nature of their job. Numerous police officers feel that they work under considerable pressure and that their job is difficult and uncertain, which further contributes negatively to health-related issues. “Along these lines, research shows that officers on alternating work schedules suffer greatly from health-related issues (e.g., metabolic syndrome, which includes excess body fat, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc.) because they are more fatigued at work and at home” (Violanti et al., 2009). Police officers experience poorer physical health as their careers progress. “Officers transitioning from day shift to night shift are also likely to experience insomnia” (Vila & Kenney, 2002). Insomnia is a form of sleeplessness that leads to work fatigue. “Work fatigue, on the other hand, is a manifested symptom of stress” (Fulle, Pietrangelo, Mancinelli, Saggini, & Fano, 2008) and is detrimental to an officer’s health. “In addition to physiological effects, work-related stressors have a negative effect on psychosocial behavior. Research shows that stress increases the likelihood of alcohol consumption” (Brady & Pharm, 1999; Keyes, Hatzenbuehler, & Hasin, 2011; Siegrist & Rodel, 2006) “and tobacco use among police officers” (Smith, Devine, Leggat, & Ishitake, 2005).
Many officers choose drinking at the end of their shifts as a technique for coping with stress. Moreover, when officers meet, the discussion is habitually work-related. “Thus, the officers revisit the same stressful work issues (e.g., exposure to violence at work, exposure to people in pain or distress, etc.) that they were hoping the alcohol would take away” (Leino, Eskelinen, Summala, & Virtanen, 2011). Alcohol consumption is considered one of the most prominent manifestations of stress among police officers. Employees in this occupation are more vulnerable than those in many other professions. They tend to consume more alcohol than the general public. Various cross-sectional studies have also supported this result. They not only drink alcohol but may also show patterns of alcohol use and abuse in their daily lives. Their family lives may be disturbed by this, causing domestic violence. Bar fights involving officers are also reported in the United States. Some police officers are even found dead in accidents caused by drinking. This is also one reason their image has been tarnished. A similar situation exists with smoking, although it is not as severe. Many officers smoke cigarettes as a method of managing their stress. “Smoking as a way of coping with stress is an issue for the general population as well” (Battig, 1993; Khurshid & Ansari, 2012). “A change in an officer’s work schedule has also been shown to increase an officer’s smoking rate in addition to other physiological health issues” (Smith et al., 2005).
Stress caused by a career in law enforcement can lead to PTSD and depression. Job stress in a law-enforcement career places a strain on family and marital relationships, often leading to divorce. Due to their busy and stressful routines, their lifestyles become disrupted. Their wives may have to perform different roles on their behalf as well. They may have to play the roles of both partners. They have to accommodate their husbands’ demanding duty schedules. If they can do this easily, they may enjoy a happy life. However, the inability to do all this can lead to communication gaps and domestic quarrels. Wives may develop feelings of isolation and frustration. Officers and their families may not get enough time to participate in day-to-day activities. They may have no option except to decline invitations to parties that employees in other professions can enjoy. These officers, thus, cannot always fulfill their social obligations. Even on Christmas Day, they may have little time for their families and children. Divorce rates as high as 65% are frequently cited in assessments of police officers. These rates are currently comparable to those in other high-stress professions.
Although similar in terms of stress, female and minority officers have different experiences in the workplace compared with other workers. Police officers may feel that they are not getting sufficient support from management despite the fact that their jobs are extremely demanding. They may also feel that their job descriptions are unclear. Officers who lack both administrative and family support are likely to burn out easily. Police officers’ ranks within departments may affect the amount of stress they experience and their level of management responsibility. For instance, officers in higher positions may experience more stress than officers in lower positions.
Though the numerous indicators of stress caused by work in law enforcement can create a difficult situation, there are solutions available. Along with formal training, there are also several exercises that can help reduce stress. Officers should have a higher degree of emotional stability while performing their duties. There is a need for prevention strategies. More religious activity or stronger religious views may lead to fewer perceived stressors. If officers enter a stress-related situation, they should seek emotional-stability support at a very early stage of their careers or of the stress-related situation. This is because stress affects not only officers but also their families, who can become entangled in these situations. The way the job is performed also has a crucial role in limiting stress. Police officers with service-related duties experience less stress, while those dealing directly with criminals face more pressure. Internal concerns among officers relating to higher management can be addressed by designing policies and procedures. This practice can remove internal causes of stress. Their stress can also be relieved with support from their families and friends. They should pursue useful hobbies to relieve stress. They can also exercise for this purpose. “Two of the best methods of handling stress are exercise and hobbies” (Enter, 2006). Exercise provides physical benefits as well as the advantage of relieving stress. Many psychologists relate weight management to exercise because workouts reduce the release of stress hormones such as cortisol. At the same time, they increase endorphins in the body. These hormones make the body feel good. Exercise can improve mood.
Also, physical activity redirects their thoughts from the dilemmas of life to the activity at hand. If they exercise with their families and friends, they also gain the additional benefit of spending time together. They make better use of their time while doing this. Exercise also has the advantage that people who become accustomed to it tend to accumulate less stress in their lives. Their minds may become better able to manage and reject stress factors. Hobbies as a way to relieve stress may seem unusual to some people, but research shows that they can also be helpful in this respect. Hobbies are commonly viewed as activities for individuals who lead quiet, stress-free lives. However, this is not always true. People with full, difficult, and even stressful lives may need hobbies even more than the average person. When they spend time on useful and pleasant activities that they enjoy, their stress can be relieved.
References
Avdija, A. S. (2014). Stress and law enforcers: testing the relationship between law enforcement work stressors and health-related issues. Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine: an Open Access Journal, 2(1), 100-110.
Charles, L. E., Burchfiel, C. M., Fekedulegn, D., Vila, B., Hartley, T. A., Slaven, J., … & Violanti, J. M. (2007). Shift work and sleep: the Buffalo Police health study. Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, 30(2), 215-227.
Ferrie, J. E., Shipley, M. J., Marmot, M. G., Stansfeld, S., & Smith, G. D. (1998). The health effects of major organisational change and job insecurity. Social science & medicine, 46(2), 243-254.
Parker II, S. W. W. (2012). Dealing With Stress In Law Enforcement: Alcoholism, Divorce and Suicide.
Wakil, A. A. (2015). Occupational Stress among Nigerian Police Officers: An Examination of the Coping Strategies and the Consequences. African Research Review, 9(4), 16-26.
Academic Master Education Team is a group of academic editors and subject specialists responsible for producing structured, research-backed essays across multiple disciplines. Each article is developed following Academic Master’s Editorial Policy and supported by credible academic references. The team ensures clarity, citation accuracy, and adherence to ethical academic writing standards
Content reviewed under Academic Master Editorial Policy.
