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Trauma and Coping Strategies in Police Officers: A Quantitative-Qualitative Pilot Study

Author

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  • Cristina Civilotti

    (Department of Psychology, Università di TorinoVia Verdi, 1010124 Torino, Italy)

  • Giulia Di Fini

    (Department of Psychology, Università di TorinoVia Verdi, 1010124 Torino, Italy)

  • Daniela Acquadro Maran

    (Department of Psychology, Università di TorinoVia Verdi, 1010124 Torino, Italy)

Abstract

Background. Because of their work, emergency workers, such as police officers (POs), are exposed to traumatic events on a daily basis. These experiences can have consequences in terms of physical and emotional stress. Primary attachment relationships affect the development of coping strategies for dealing with stressful events (primarily hyperactivating strategies in entangled adults and hypo-activating strategies in dismissing adults). In this study, we explored how POs describe the experience of traumatic accidents, the effects they reported and their coping strategies related to their attachment style. Methods. We used a quantitative-qualitative method. Thirty-nine POs were administered the Beck Depression Inventory, the Maslach Burnout Inventory and a semi-structured interview about traumatic events and reactions. Interviews were analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Results. Traumatic events at work predominantly concerned aggressions, witnessing deaths, forced hospitalizations, and domestic violence involving children. POs with a responsible role were more likely than POs to use security-based strategies. Most POs narrated overactivation and deactivation strategies, which were associated with depressive symptoms, emotional exhaustion, and depersonalization. Conclusions. These results can be useful to improve trauma-informed interventions for POs based on their different attachment styles and coping strategies.

Suggested Citation

  • Cristina Civilotti & Giulia Di Fini & Daniela Acquadro Maran, 2021. "Trauma and Coping Strategies in Police Officers: A Quantitative-Qualitative Pilot Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(3), pages 1-13, January.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:3:p:982-:d:485569
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. J. P. Royston, 1983. "Some Techniques for Assessing Multivarate Normality Based on the Shapiro‐Wilk W," Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series C, Royal Statistical Society, vol. 32(2), pages 121-133, June.
    2. Patterson, George T., 2003. "Examining the effects of coping and social support on work and life stress among police officers," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 31(3), pages 215-226.
    3. Konstantinos Papazoglou & Brooke McQuerrey Tuttle, 2018. "Fighting Police Trauma: Practical Approaches to Addressing Psychological Needs of Officers," SAGE Open, , vol. 8(3), pages 21582440187, August.
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    1. Mantji Juliah Modula & Ellen Mokgobola Mathapo-Thobakgale & Champion N. Nyoni & Ronelle Jansen, 2024. "Strategies for Coping with Occupational Trauma: A Scoping Review of the Police Officer Context," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(7), pages 1-14, July.
    2. Royce Anders & Lauriane Willemin-Petignat & Cornelia Rolli Salathé & Andrea C. Samson & Benjamin Putois, 2022. "Profiling Police Forces against Stress: Risk and Protective Factors for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Burnout in Police Officers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-23, July.
    3. Cristina Civilotti & Daniela Acquadro Maran & Sergio Garbarino & Nicola Magnavita, 2022. "Hopelessness in Police Officers and Its Association with Depression and Burnout: A Pilot Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-12, April.
    4. Viktor Soltes & Jozef Kubas & Andrej Velas & David Michalík, 2021. "Occupational Safety of Municipal Police Officers: Assessing the Vulnerability and Riskiness of Police Officers’ Work," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(11), pages 1-19, May.

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