Job Demands, Job Resources, and Well-being in Police Officers—a Resource-Oriented Approach

Abstract

This study examined the association between job characteristics, namely job demands and job resources, and mental health outcomes in terms of emotional exhaustion and well-being among police officers. Eight hundred forty-three German police officers participated in a cross-sectional online survey. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the validity of the dual process model of the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) framework in the context of police work. Job demands (verbal assaults by citizens, workload, and administrative stressors) predicted emotional exhaustion whereas job resources (team support, shared values, and perceived fairness) predicted well-being. Moreover, job resources were directly and negatively associated with emotional exhaustion. The findings confirm the capacity of job resources to simultaneously promote well-being and reduce emotional exhaustion. Work place interventions should thus not merely decrease job demands. To improve and protect police officers' well-being, it is advisable to promote job resources. A supportive and fair organizational climate based on shared values is required to foster mental health in the context of police work.

The relationship between organisational stressors and mental wellbeing within police officers: a systematic review

“…However, this study did not formally assess associations between stressors and MW outcomes. A recent study showed that job resources (team support, shared values and perceived fairness) predicted wellbeing and decreased EE in police officers [109]. Furthermore, judgement from peers was identified as a significant risk factor for depression, consistent with studies on the general working population which provide strong evidence of relationships between workplace bullying and increased depression symptoms [116] , anxiety [117], and stress related psychological symptoms [117].…”

“…. Our review did not identify any studies investigating the impact of job demand on depression, anxiety and occupational stress, however a review on the general population, demonstrated that high job demands are associated with increased rates of depression, anxiety and occupational stress [1] .Moreover, within the broader law enforcement literature occupational stress and burnout have been reported to arise as a result of high job demands [108]; and with emotional exhaustion in a recent study of German police officers [109], illustrating the spectrum of MW outcomes associated with exposure to this stressor.…”

Emotional labor and work engagement at work in military policemen

“…Em amostras de policiais, os estudos (Kim & Wang, 2018;Wolter et al, 2019) destacam as particularidades do trabalho do policial ao se investigar as demandas de trabalho desses profissionais. Um desses estudos (Wolter et al, 2019) considerou a demanda por identificação do policial com o departamento de política e as agressões verbais dos cidadãos como "demandas de trabalho", e apontou que os valores compartilhados entre policiais serviriam como "recursos de trabalho" para lidar frequentemente com críticas severas à corporação, especialmente diante de condutas inadequadas de colegas e manifestações da população contra a instituição policial.…”

“…Esses estudos com policiais que testam o modelo JD-R (Kim & Wang, 2018;Wolter et al, 2019) mostram que as demandas de trabalho como ambiguidade do papel, carga de trabalho e contato com clientes negativos são associados ao burnout, enquanto os recursos de trabalho, como suporte social, valores compartilhados e autoeficácia se relacionam a resultados positivos, como bemestar, satisfação e engajamento no trabalho.…”

Analysis of Wellbeing in Nongovernmental Organizations’ Workplace in a Developed Area Context

“…From a theoretical point-of-view, wellbeing conceptualizes the assessment that people perceive of their own quality of life [ 11 ], including their workplace situation, as well as the personal conditions, in accordance with an individual and personal organization of values, goals, and aspirations [ 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 ]. From this perspective, academic literature should focus on the analysis of the individuals’ work-life, and this should be a basic concern for society [ 16 ].…”