Coping With Stress - A Psychological Survival Manual

• NCJ Number: 71014
• Author(s): P D Bullard
• Date Published: 1980
• Length: 228 pages
• Corporate Author: Proseminar Press, Inc
• Sale Source: Proseminar Press, Inc
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: There is a one dollar discount to law enforcement agencies and their employees.

Annotation

Addressed to police officers, this book analyzes the nature of stress, its causative aspects in police work, personality differences in reactions to stress, and practical measures for minimizing its effects.

Abstract

Stress is defined in terms of the sometimes conflicting relationship between internal needs and external demands. The physiological and psychological reactions to stressful situations are illustrated through two fictional police officers representing divergent personalities. One is characterized by reticence and calm objectivity--the slow reacting type, while his counterpart is quick in thought and action, ambitious, extroverted, and a seeker of adventure. Different as they are, both are vulnerable to stress. Heart failure and alcoholism are but two of the possible negative effects of extreme stress. Psychological defense mechanisms include callousness and social isolation, detrimental to personal as well as professional pursuits. Reaction to the crises of police work, a dramatic momentary failure or overreaction on the job, may be stress precipitated and might also, in turn, precipitate further stress. Assessing individual stress levels using life-change checklists to identify stressful personal problems such as death in the family, sex problems, financial difficulties, and even vacation and Christmas pressures is suggested. Recommended preventive measures against stress include the formation of a traumatic incident team of police officers to function as peer group counselors for troubled colleagues, professional leadership training, and goal-oriented personal improvement programs such as individual weight reduction and exercise regimes coupled with desirable rewards in contract form. The special conditions of policewomen are addressed, as well as general organizational practices which contribute to stress among police personnel. Behavioral changes, such as abstinence from stimulants, healthier diets, and exercise and relaxation habits, are recommended for improved professional performance as well as for personal satisfaction. Tabular data and illustrations are provided.