A Longitudinal Examination of Secondary Traumatic Stress among Law Enforcement

Craun, Sarah W.; Bourke, Michael L.; Bierie, David M.; Williams, Katria S.

doi:10.1080/15564886.2013.848828

Cited by 36 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…No significant differences were found between men and women in relation to scores on the overarching STS scores or the subscales. This is in alignment with research in STS and PTSD that reports that gender is not predictive of symptomatology (Andrew et al 2008;Craun et al 2014;Ellrich and Baier 2015;Pole et al 2001). However, other studies have reported that being male is associated with lower risk for STS and PTSD (Bourke and Craun 2014a;Bowler et al 2010;Brady 2016) which aligns with the broader literature exploring PTSD in the general population (Tolin and Foa 2006).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 84%

“…Both of these studies report levels of symptoms that are even higher than those reported in this study. However, our findings were more in alignment with Craun et al (2014) where 11.8% of law enforcement personnel experienced high or severe symptoms. Their sample of law enforcement personnel was broader than personnel just involved in child exploitation cases.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 69%

“…Paradoxically, literature suggests that engaging in these safety behaviours contributes to disorder maintenance (Salkovskis 1989). Other studies exploring coping in relation to STS have found that coping through denial is related to higher STS scores (Bourke and Craun 2014a;Bourke and Craun 2014b;Craun et al 2014). It is also important to explore how cultural norms within the police might interact with issues like avoidance behaviours.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Police Forces need to ensure that staff within the FPU are appropriately supported and de-briefed in a bid to minimise/reduce the potential risk of psychiatric harm incurred by Forces failing to take 'adequate precautions' to reduce such risks. Other studies have highlighted the importance of support of co-workers, supervisors and the organisation in mitigating symptoms of STS (Bourke and Craun 2014a;Bourke and Craun 2014b;Brady 2016;Craun et al 2014). Additionally, social support outside of work has also been reported as a mitigating factor (Bourke and Craun 2014a;Brady 2016;Perez et al 2010).…”

Section: Implications For Professionals and Policy Makersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, a key critique of their study was that 73% of participants were male. Craun et al (2014) explored scores of STS in a group of law enforcement personnel that were involved in sex offence investigations as well as a broader group of deputies also involved in the Deputy US Marshals over a 3-year period of time. On average, this group of law enforcement personnel had lower scores of STS than those described in Perez et al (2010) and Bourke and Craun (2014a).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Secondary Traumatic Stress: Prevalence and Symptomology Amongst Detective Officers Investigating Child Protection Cases

MacEachern

Dennis

Jackson

et al. 2018

J Police Crim Psych

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It has been increasingly recognised that individuals exposed to the trauma of others within their professional roles can be affected by secondary traumatic stress (STS). Despite this recognition, there is a dearth of literature examining the prevalence of secondary traumatic stress amongst police officers in the UK. This study aims to meet this gap. Sixty-three Detective Officers from Family Protection Units (FPU(s)), primarily engaged in child protection/abuse investigations, self-reported their experiences and symptoms associated with STS through a questionnaire. Findings indicate that over half of the respondents experienced STS symptoms with 11% reporting levels of symptoms that were in the high or severe range. This study is significant in that it provides empirical evidence of issues that have so far been little documented in the UK and considers the implications for policing policy and practice in terms of the health and well-being of serving police officers.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 84%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 69%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Implications For Professionals and Policy Makersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Secondary Traumatic Stress: Prevalence and Symptomology Amongst Detective Officers Investigating Child Protection Cases

MacEachern

Dennis

Jackson

et al. 2018

J Police Crim Psych

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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Coping among public safety personnel: A systematic review and meta–analysis

et al. 2021

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Public safety personnel (PSP) are routinely exposed to potentially psychologically traumatic events (PPTEs) that, in turn, can result in posttraumatic stress injuries (PTSI), including burnout and increased symptoms of depression and anxiety. However, the longitudinal impact of PPTEs on PSP coping remains unclear. Coping can be operationalized as various strategies (i.e., behaviours, skills, thought and emotion regulation) for dealing with stressors, which are broadly categorized as either approach (adaptive, positive, social support) or avoidant coping strategies (maladaptive withdrawal, avoidance, substance use). This systematic review and meta‐analysis aims to evaluate longitudinal coping outcomes among PSP. Thirteen eligible repeated‐measures studies explicitly evaluated coping in 1854 police officers, firefighters, and rescue and recovery workers. Study designs included randomized‐control trials, within‐subject interventions and observational studies. Effect sizes (Cohen's d ) at follow‐up were described in 11 studies. Separate meta‐analyses reveal small ( d < 0.2) but non‐significant improvements in approach and avoidant coping. Studies were of moderate quality and low risk of publication bias. Heterogeneity in outcome measures, follow‐up durations, and study types precluded subgroup analyses. The current findings can inform the development and evaluation of organizational training programs that effectively promote sustained adaptive coping for PSP and mitigate PTSIs.

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