| Abstract [eng] |
The police officers profession is one of the most dangerous and it is widely acknowledged that they are often exposed to dangerous stressors in their work. The aim of this study was to identify the links between stress, traumatic events, and adaptation difficulties experienced by police officers. A demographic questionnaire was used in the study; stress events and adaptation difficulties were assessed on the basis of the Adjustment Disorder - New Module 8 scale (ADNM-8); the Life Events Checklist (LEC) used to assess traumatic events; Police Stress Questionnaire (PSQ) to assess the stress experienced by police officers at work. The study involved 210 police officers from Kaunas and Šiauliai police commissariats, including 111 women and 99 men. The age of the study participants ranged from 18 to 58 years, the length of service from 1 to 35 years. The results showed that 91 percent. police officers have faced at least one traumatic event in a lifetime and at least one stressful event in recent years. The chronic stressors experienced by police officers were mainly work-related. Officials are most stressed by constant changes in the police or department, excessive demands, staff shortages and unequal division of labor responsibilities. The stress and traumatic events experienced by police officers and the level of stress at work are not related to gender, age, nature of work and work experience. Police officers are more likely to have difficulty adapting obsessive thoughts. Adjustment difficulties of police officers are not related to gender, age, seniority, and job specifics. The difficulties of adaptation of police officers are directly related to the traumatic and stressful events experienced and the level of stress at work, but the difficulties of adaptation are predicted only by the stress experienced by police officers at work. |
