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Work Social Support and PTSD in Police Officers: The Mediating Role of Organizational Commitment

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  • Fernanda Dias Campos

    (Military Police of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Rua Evaristo da Veiga, 78, Rio de Janeiro 20031-040, Brazil
    CICPSI, Faculdade de Psicologia, Universidade de Lisboa, Alameda da Universidade, 1649-013 Lisboa, Portugal)

  • Maria José Chambel

    (CICPSI, Faculdade de Psicologia, Universidade de Lisboa, Alameda da Universidade, 1649-013 Lisboa, Portugal)

  • Sílvia Lopes

    (CICPSI, Faculdade de Psicologia, Universidade de Lisboa, Alameda da Universidade, 1649-013 Lisboa, Portugal
    Faculty of Philosophy and Social Sciences, Centre for Philosophical and Humanistic Studies, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Rua de Camões, 4710-362 Braga, Portugal)

Abstract

The military police officers of Rio de Janeiro are often exposed to critical incidents in routine work that may have a potentially traumatic effect on their mental health, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study aims to explore the protective role of work social support (i.e., emotional, instrumental, and informational) and affective organizational commitment (and its mediation effect) in facing PTSD, considering these variables as essential resources in the work context according to the conservation of resources theory (COR) approach. This is a cross-sectional study, with a sample of 329 military police officers from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, who were administered a questionnaire of sociodemographic variables, the Critical Incident History Questionnaire (CIHQ), the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist 5 (PCL-5), the Perceived Social Support at Work Scale (EPSST), and the Affective Organizational Commitment Scale. It was found that only emotional support showed a significant association with affective commitment and PTSD symptoms. Affective organizational commitment, in turn, partially mediated the relationship between emotional support and PTSD. These findings shed light on the importance of organizations, such as the military police, in promoting the development of psychological resources like emotional support and affective commitment to mitigate PTSD and promote a sustainable work environment.

Suggested Citation

  • Fernanda Dias Campos & Maria José Chambel & Sílvia Lopes, 2023. "Work Social Support and PTSD in Police Officers: The Mediating Role of Organizational Commitment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(24), pages 1-17, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:24:p:16728-:d:1297885
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. 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.
    2. Fernanda Dias Campos & Maria José Chambel & Sílvia Lopes & Paulo C. Dias, 2021. "Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in the Military Police of Rio de Janeiro: Can a Risk Profile Be Identified?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-14, March.
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