Police stress and depressive symptoms: role of coping and hardiness

• Pages: 247-261
• Date: 22 November 2019
• Published date: 22 November 2019
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/PIJPSM-04-2019-0055
• Author: Penelope Allison,Anna Mnatsakanova,Erin McCanlies,Desta Fekedulegn,Tara A. Hartley,Michael E. Andrew,John M. Violanti
• Subject Matter: Public policy & environmental management,Policing,Criminal justice,Juvenile/youth crime,Police studies,Health & social care,Criminology & forensic psychology,Criminology & criminal justice

Police stress and

depressive symptoms: role of

coping and hardiness

Penelope Allison, Anna Mnatsakanova, Erin McCanlies,

Desta Fekedulegn, Tara A. Hartley and Michael E. Andrew

Health Effects Laboratory Division,

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown,

West Virginia, USA, and

John M. Violanti

Department of Social and Preventive Medicine,

State University of NY at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA

Abstract

Purpose –Chronic exposure to occupational stress may lead to depressive symptoms in police officers.

The association between police stress and depressive symptoms and the potential influences of coping and

hardiness were evaluated. The paper aims to discuss this issue.

Design/methodology/approach –Stress level was assessed in the Buffalo Cardio-Metabolic Occupational

Police Stress Study (2004–2009) with the Spielberger Police Stress Survey. The frequency and severity of

events at work were used to calculate stress indices for the past year. The Center for Epidemiologic

Studies Depression (CES-D) Scale was used to measure depressive symptoms during the past week. Linear

regression was used to evaluate the association between the stress indices and depressive symptom scores.

Models were adjusted for age, sex, race, smoking status and alcohol intake, and stratified by median values

for coping (passive, active and support seeking) and hardiness (control, commitment and challenge) to assess

effect modification.

Findings –Among the388 officers (73.2 percent men),a significant positiveassociation was observed between

totalstress and the CES-D score (β¼1.98 (SE ¼0.36); po0.001).Lower CES-D scores were observedfor officers

who reported lower passive coping (β¼0.94 (SE¼0.45); p¼0.038) and higher active coping (β¼1.41

(SE ¼0.44); p¼0.002),compared with their counterparts.Officers higher in hardiness had lowerCES-D scores,

particularly forcommitment (β¼0.86 (SE¼0.35); p¼0.016) and control (β¼1.58 (SE¼0.34); po0.001).

Originality/value –Results indicate that high active coping and hardiness modify the effect of work stress

in law enforcement, acting to reduce depressive symptoms.

Keywords Coping, Stress, Depression, Police officers, Hardiness

Paper type Research paper

Introduction

Depression is estimated to affect 6.7 percent of adults in the USA (U.S. National Institute of

Mental Health, 2018); many of whom are working age adults. The costs associated with

depression in the USA in general and in the workplace are significant (Kessler, 2012; Insel,

2008; Luppa et al., 2007). Depression has also been linked to costs associated with chronic

diseases (Welch et al., 2009; Wulsin et al., 2005; Egede, 2010). Police are at high risk for

depression symptoms due to the occupational stressors in police work that involve physical

and psychological threat (e.g. unintentional and intentional injury on the job or critical

incidents) and organizational challenges (e.g. departmental policies and procedures,

inadequate support from supervisor or excessive paperwork) (Gershon et al., 2002; Gershon

et al., 2009). Positive skills such as coping and hardiness may help police officers address

symptoms of depression or make them more resilient (Kobasa, 1979; Johnsen et al., 2013;

Bartone et al., 2013). Previous research indicates these factors can help mitigate symptoms

of distress and posttraumatic stress symptoms, it is of interest to further explore the

Received 12 April 2019

Revised 28 September 2019

Accepted 7 October 2019

The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:

www.emeraldinsight.com/1363-951X.htm

Police stress

and depressive

symptoms

Policing: An International Journal

Vol. 43 No. 2, 2020

pp. 247-261

© Emerald Publishing Limited

1363-951X

DOI 10.1108/PIJPSM-04-2019-0055

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