NCJ Number
172570
Journal
Stress Medicine Volume: 12 (1996) Pages: 239-246
Date Published
1996
Length
8 pages
Annotation
More than 400 spouses of police officers of the Grampian Police Force in the northeast of Scotland were surveyed by questionnaire to assess the impact of police work on the welfare and functioning of these spouses and their families.
Abstract
In addition to the questionnaire, the spouses were asked to complete the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, a 14-item scale recognized as a valid and reliable measure of anxiety and depression in non-psychiatric samples. Of the 464 questionnaires mailed, 409 were returned, for a response rate of 88 percent. The issues addressed in the study were the perceived stress level of police officers, the effect of officers' stress on relationships, the impact of officers' stress on spouses' health, the effects of aspects of police work, spouses' mental health, and police officers' coping methods off duty. The results of the study suggest that police work has an adverse impact on police families, particularly in terms of spouses' social life. The primary negative factors are long hours, shiftwork, and canceled leave. Dangerous duties and working with the opposite sex did not usually have an injurious effect on spouses. The methods used by the officers to cope with work-induced stress may produce additional difficulties for their spouses and families. 5 tables and 27 references