Ecological Approach to Emotional Disability in Police (From Psychological Services for Law Enforcement, P 453-460, 1986, J Reese and H A Goldstein, eds. - See NCJ-104098)

• NCJ Number: 104125
• Author(s): E F Kirschman
• Date Published: 1986
• Length: 8 pages
• Corporate Author: US Dept of Justice; US Dept of Justice
• Sale Source: Superintendent of Documents, GPO; National Institute of Justice/NCJRS; National Institute of Justice/; NCJRS Photocopy Services
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: For microfiche, see NCJ-104098.

Annotation

Three case histories of police occupational stress show its relationship to the impact of organizational structure on the use of discretion, the resonance of individual personality traits with organizational and cultural norms, problems of role termination and career development, and problems in the workers' compensation process.

Abstract

Patrol officers and detectives have great authority and discretion on the street and minimal authority in influencing organizational policy and decisionmaking. The exercise of discretion on the street leaves the officer vulnerable to organizational criticism and discipline, creating the possibility for stress. The resonance of individual personality traits with organizational and cultural norms creates stress when commitment to and compliance with organizational expectations creates a self-worth that is undermined by ambiguous and fickle organizational behavior toward the individual. Problems associated with role termination and the workers' compensation process intensify stress for officers whose careers are jeopardized by psychological disabilities. Overall, the case studies indicate that mental health professionals who work with police officers under stress must focus on ecological factors that can create, aggravate, or mitigate stress in the individual officer. 4 references and 7-item bibliography.