Police Stress 1
Research Paper: Police Stress
Kristi Campbell
Liberty University
CJUS 630
May 8, 2025
Abstract
The job of a police officer can be very dangerous but most if not, all police officers know that
when applying for the position. Along with this danger come stress and police officers have one
of the most stressful jobs on planet Earth. The chances of work-related stress are increased due
to the wear that policing can cause on a person. Police officers can also burn out very easily.
Burn out is considered a syndrome which can be triggered by a job which requires high
demands as well as chronic work-related stress. Burn out is also considered a health threat to
police officers. It is rather rare to see PTSD being extensively studied and examined in police
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officers. There have been studies conducted but they tend to focus only on a non-violent
incident or a tragedy.
Stress can affect police officers in many ways, the worst being suicide and/or suicidal ideations.
Suicidal ideation is the cognitions and thoughts one may have about taking their own life. Other
effects of stress on police officers can result in depression, alcohol abuse, domestic violence,
and PTSD. The Bible is a self-help tool given to Christians which can assist them during times of
turmoil. There are many scriptures which can give guidance to Christian law enforcement
officers.
Police Stress
Being a police officer is one of the most stressful jobs that there is. Especially when you
compare it to that of any other job without many high stress situations. Stress, which is part of
everyday life, is described as a psychological impact or change that is brought on by different
psychological mediation or environmental stimuli. Police officers deal with more stress from
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their job than do most people working in other professions. Everyday police officers face
dangerous situations which can lead to daily stress. This daily stress can result in various side
effects which PTSD and burn out. It is necessary for police officers to learn coping mechanisms
and utilize them to be able to manage their stress and the side effects that can occur. While
coping mechanisms are necessary, they will not eliminate the stress for the police officer.
Causes
Being a police officer has long been thought of as being dangerous, stressful, and at
times emotionally demanding. Law enforcement scholars have even argued that being a police
officer is the most stressful job that there is. Being a police officer can cause burn out for some
individuals.
This can increase the possibility of occupational stress for the police officer. According to Frank
(2017) there have been several studies which have shown that occupational stress contributes
to or can cause several outcomes for police officers such as depression, burn out, health
problems, absenteeism, turnover, aggression, premature death, lower job satisfaction,
substance abuse, lower work performance. These several outcomes can cause individuals to
avoid a job as a police officer. It can also lead to the public having a negative perception of law
enforcement. According to Edwards (2021) occupational stress is defined as a physiological and
psychological response to events or conditions in the workplace that are detrimental to health
and well-being. That has been significant research on police officers’ predisposition to
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occupational stress. It has shown there is little to no effect from individual measures such as
that of relationship status and traits.
Exposure to traumatic events is one of the most stressful experiences that a police officer
can go through. This can include calls regarding general violence, abused women and children,
and witnessing dead bodies. There have been studies on general population brain structure
change and the connection to exposure to stressful life events. According to Violanti (2017) one
of the studies showed police recruits who had experienced one or more traumatic events while
on duty had a mean impact of event scale score that was 64% higher than recruits who had not
experienced any traumatic events while on duty. Experiencing one traumatic event can have a
lasting impact on an individual. It can add stress to the individual’s life and some traumatic
events may even scar the individual for a lifetime.
Witnessing or being exposed to traumatic events has also been associated with
hypervigilance and hyperarousal. Studies have shown that police officers who were exposed to
at least one traumatic event while on duty were more likely to have a higher mean hyperarousal
score when compared to co-workers with primary exposure to civilian deaths. Sleep quantity
and quality are directly related to traumatic event exposure, such as the shooting of a fellow
officer. This can lead to sleep disturbances. According to Violanti (2017) women who witnessed
or were exposed to abused children had a higher rate of poor sleep quality and those who were
exposed to seeing the victims of a traffic accident experienced a shorter sleep duration. All
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these studies tell us that being exposed to or witnessing a traumatic event can physically and
psychologically effect a police officer in many ways.
Police officers are also exposed to occupational stress and these stressors may be the
greatest source of stress in police officers. It can lead to feelings of betrayal and loss of trust in
their department. There are far fewer studies examining the organizational stress of a police
officer than there are of operational stressors of a police officer. As previously stated,
organizational stress may be one of the greatest stresses in police officers especially with 2 of
the top 5 stressors of a police officer being occupational stressors. Fellow officers not doing their
job as well as inadequate or poor equipment were in the top 5. Chronic stress is almost always
caused by organizational problems which can make stress that much worse (Domingues &
Machado, 2017). Organizational stress can lead to cardiovascular diseases as well as negative
psychological and physical responses in police officers. According to Violanti (2017)
organizational stressors such as job insecurity, low job control, work-family conflict, lack of social
support and high job demand were associated with physician diagnosed morbidity, poor mental
health, and poor physical health in police officers.
A steady work schedule is not something police officers are familiar with. They often
work long hours with lots of overtime. The shift work that police officers are required to work
can cause adverse health issues in police officers. These health issues can include:
1. Depression
2. Diabetes
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3. CVD (cardiovascular disease)
4. Sleep disorders
Sleep disorders can cause a lot of issues for police officers on a day-to-day basis. According
to Violanti (2017) police officers with a sleep disorder have exhibited the following when
compared to police officers without a sleep disorder:
1. Fall asleep while driving
2. Make serious administrative errors
3. Have higher rates of absenteeism
4. Make errors/safety violations because of fatigue
5. Fall asleep during meetings
6. Exhibit uncontrolled anger toward suspects
Night shift work can have a negative impact on a police officer. It can lead to an increase in
call-offs from work as well as long-term injury. After five consecutive nights of working the night
shift a police officer can experience diminished simulated driving experience, vigilance, and
alertness. Even post shift driving in police officers who worked the night shift was worse when
compared to police officers who worked days. Violanti (2017) found that working the night shift
long-term for 6 to 8 years was associated with a decreased level and total volume of cortisol
released over the waking period compared with the other two shifts.
Occupational stress not only affects the police officer, but it can also affect their
coworkers and their family (wife and children). A police officer who experiences high amounts of
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stress is more likely to disengage from their family which can result in an increase in marital
issues. Police officers have been known to take out their stress on their families, with over 40%
of police officer reporting they had done so. Violanti (2017) found that increased levels of work
and family conflict in police officers was associated with marital difficulties, lack of support, and
shift work. The various shifts and unsteady work schedule of a police officer can all have
negative impacts on the families of the police officer, the relationship that the police officer has
with them, as well as a negative impact on the individual themselves.
Decision making can be impacted by stress that a police officer is experiencing.
Especially during the call for a critical event, decision making can result in a negative manner.
There was a certain study that asked police officers about their decision making and stress at
work. The police officers studied had recalled that death threats to other officers or bystanders
was stressful for them. During such a stressful work-related event the police officer is required
to focus on decision making techniques which will bring about a positive outcome. These same
officers had described the stress that they experienced as bursts of energy or excitement.
Others had described the experiences as challenging and physiologically arousing. And yet
others thought the experience occurred too rapidly and they were unable to utilize any coping
skills. According to Harris (2017) these events experienced by police officers can be considered
shock events because these events exhibited a sudden transition in the task status which led to
marked increases in stress which was preceded by few environmental cues.
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Burn out
Police officers risk burn out due to the stress and demands of their job. Burn out is
considered a syndrome which can be triggered by chronic work-related stress as well as a job
which requires high demands. Burn out is also considered a health threat to police officers.
According to Santa Maria (2020) burn out is defined as a state of emotional exhaustion which is
accompanied by feelings of ineffectiveness and cynicism about the value of one’s work.
Bhowmick (2020) defines burn out as wear out, fail, or becoming exhausted by making excessive
demands on resources, strength, or energy which results in burn out manifesting itself in various
symptomatic ways that can vary in degree and symptom based off of each individual.
Burn out is also considered to be complex when it comes to the clients of behavioral
health therapy. Burn out has been blamed for undermining the quality of care for these clients.
Burn out can negatively impact an individual’s personal life as well as result in a low quality of
work life for some individuals. This can also simply make everything worse for a police officer.
Personality traits have been associated with an increase in vulnerability to occupational
stress in some individuals as well as promoting resiliency in others. This means that burn out can
have a direct relationship with a person’s personality. Negative emotions such fear, disgust, and
anxiety tend to be higher in an individual who exhibits higher levels of neuroticism. These same
folks are at a higher rate of suffering from mental disorders such as depression. Pessimists view
the world around them negatively; this is how neurotic individuals feel. There is relationship
between police officers and neuroticism. It has predicted occupational stress for police officers
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which has resulted in a direct correlation with all stress variables. A negative appraisal of the
work environment was also exhibited in those with higher levels of neuroticism. Bhowmick
(2020) found that this negative appraisal may cause an increased amount of perceived
occupational stress which could lead to cognitive weariness, emotional exhaustion, and physical
fatigue, all of this can be detrimental to the life and or career of a police officer.
The effects of burn out vary from one police officer to the next. There is also a direct
correlation between high job control, personal accomplishments, working long hours and
promotions and a higher ranking within a department. Higher rank has been shown to provide
the police officer with more freedom to execute their job. This can result in less occupational
stress and less burnout for the police officer. When comparing these police officers to ones who
are lowered ranked one will see officers who have little control over their work and an increase
in occupational stress and an increase in burn out. Police officers with less rank may feel
worthless and powerless at the lack of information they have readily available to them. Working
long hours can take its toll on a police officer as well. It can lead to exhaustion which can affect
decision making while on duty. According to Bhowmick (2020) working long hours without
available occupational resources shows a direct relationship to emotional exhaustion in police
officers. As previously stated, police officers are extremely susceptible to burn out. The
requirement of long hours for low-ranking police officers takes its toll because it offers little
reward or benefit for the officer. If a low-ranking police officer is feeling they are not benefited
or being rewarded for the long hours they are putting in they may not even care how they do
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their job. They may not even care about themselves and that can be dangerous considering the
high-risk occupation they have.
PTSD
PTSD or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is rarely studied in police officers; it is more
commonly studied in military personnel. Especially military personnel that have served in war
and have experienced a traumatic event. That does not mean that someone who is a police
officer cannot suffer from PTSD. There has been limited research of PTSD in police officers
involved in non-violent incidents. According to Ellrich (2016) PTSD is characterized by the
following four symptom clusters:
1. Intrusion
2. Avoidance of distressing trauma related stimuli
3. Negative alterations in cognitions and mood
4. Alterations in arousal and reactivity
Symptoms of PTSD include avoidance, sleep problems, self-destructive behavior,
reexperiencing the trauma, arousal manifested by aggression, recklessness, negative mood and
cognitions. The rates of PTSD in police officers ranges from 7%-19%. There is also partial PTSD,
also called subsyndromal PTSD, in which an individual exhibits some PTSD symptoms but not all
of them. Partial PTSD can still interfere with social functioning as well as normal work. Violanti
(2017) found that the rates for subsyndromal PTSD were as high as 34%in police officers which
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could possibly compromise the day-to-day functioning of the police officer as well as their
overall health.
PTSD can cause other conditions, especially if the individual has experienced a traumatic
event. These related conditions include the following:
1. Chronic pain syndrome
2. Fibromyalgia
3. Chronic fatigue syndrome
4. Autoimmune syndrome
5. Gastrointestinal disorder
These same individuals may also experience a wide array of comorbid psychological issues
which include the following:
1. Social phobia
2. Depression
3. Substance abuse
4. Suicidal ideation
Police officers will also experience other issues. According to Violanti (2017) police officers
who suffer from PTSD have been compared to those without PTSD symptoms and they reported
they experience increased sick leave, poorer health, reduced quality of life, higher hospital
admissions, and more frequent medical appointments. There still needs to be more research
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done as it pertains to PTSD and police officers and the protective factors and risks associated so
that police departments can be able to recognize signs of PTSD in their officers.
Suicide
Police officers can experience suicidal thoughts with some committing suicide and taking
their own lives. When an individual experiences suicidal ideation, they think about their own
lives and consider taking their own life. The individual may have a plan set in place that could
include the means in which they plan to carry it out. If the individual has access to a firearm
they could potentially act out on their suicidal thoughts immediately.
Two specific theories are associated with explaining police officer suicide. The first theory
is the Straub theory which implies that an individual will respond negatively to a stressful event
and that could ultimately direct that person in a different way. This theory also suggests that
suicide may be a solution to deal with psychological distress. These individuals may feel isolated
and alienated from the rest of society and act upon it. The other theory is the Interpersonal
theory and according to Violanti (2019) suicidal behavior may emerge in response to repeated
exposure to physically and/or fear induced experiences, feeling of thwarted belongingness, and
opponent processes in life like strain.
Police officers can experience an array of mental health and behavioral concerns, and
these can impact an officer’s risk of committing suicide. Two very common risk factors
associated with police officer suicide is substance and alcohol abuse. Police officers like to bond
over an alcoholic drink while off duty. It is a well-known coping mechanism for many police
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officers. Unfortunately heaving drinking is a common trait of police officers. Many police officer
suicide cases have cited alcohol use, domestic violence and other domestic problems. Various
studies have shown that murder-suicide was the most common extreme form of domestic
violence in police officers. Violanti (2019) suggested that interpersonal problems could be the
consequence of past emotional problems and that could potentially increase the risk of suicide.
Coping Skills
Police officers are provided with various coping mechanisms that they can utilize when
they are depressed or feeling suicidal. These coping skills are most often described as being
support seeking and emotion and problem focused; they can be either maladaptive or adaptive
in nature. A few of the most used coping skills by police officers are acceptance, planning, and
active coping. Increased alcohol use and PTSD were associated with avoidant coping in police
officers. Less stress and positive outcomes for police officers was associated with adaptive
coping skills. This includes resilience, social support, gratitude, humor, and positive reframing.
Edwards (2021) found that support and stress management training promote effective coping
strategies in addition to improvements in on-the-job relations and job performance.
Christian Worldview
The Bible is given to Christians to be the tool to help them in times of sorrow and
turmoil. It is a self-help for stress and can benefit Christian police officers. The Bible can provide
solace during times of disarray. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer
and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of
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God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”
(ESV Bible Study, 2008, Philippians 4:6-7). This scripture tells the believer that He is there to take
away their stress and worries. “Peace, I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world
gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (ESV Study
Bible, 2008, John 14:27). This scripture provides the believer with the promise of eternal peace
through Jesus during times of turmoil. Police officers need to be reminded that they are God’s
peacekeepers “To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice”
(ESV Bible Study, 2008, Proverbs 21:3). It is essential that a police officer, especially a Christian
police officer never lose faith in God.
Conclusion
Stress is part of everyday life, and it will always be experienced regardless. Police officers
experience more stress than most other occupations. A police officer will be subjected to
various stressors which can include both psychological and physical stressors. The negative
effects of stress on police officers can result in suicide, depression, burn out, and PTSD. Police
officers need to be provided coping skills that they can utilize when the stress of the job is
becoming too much for them. They also need to remember to remain resilient in the face of
stress. The Bible is an excellent self-help tool that can be beneficial to any police officer. They
need to remember that regardless, God is always watching out for them and through faith and
coping skills police officers can manage the stress they experience daily.
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