| Abstract [eng] |
Policemen, as a specific professional group, often encounter traumatic events at service and usually handle the stress experienced at work with the help of negative strategies. The purpose of this research is to determine the peculiarities of consequences of traumas and factors related to traumatic experience. The goals of the research were to assess the subjective experience of officers, symptomatics of post-traumatic stress disorder, intensiveness of the feeling of hopelessness, post-traumatic growth and social assistance received. 81 police officer who has experienced a traumatic event at service during the 3 recent years, participated in the research. The methods applied in the research are as follows: The Impact of Event Scale – revised (IES-R) (Weiss, 2004; Lith.: Kazlauskas et al., 2006), The Subjective Traumatic Experience Scale (STE) (Kazlauskas, Gailienė, Šimėnaitė, 2007), The Post-traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) (Tedeschi, Calhoun, 1996; Lith. Gailienė, Kazlauskas, 2005), Beck’s Hopelessness Scale (BHS) (Beck, Steer, 1998) and specially compiled questionnaires for policemen on a shocking event and post-traumatic experience (created by the author of this study). The research has revealed that about 60 percent of police officers experience traumatic events in their professional activities. Most frequently experienced traumatic situations by policemen are those, where there is a heavily injured, or killed victim. Regardless of traumatic experience, negative post-traumatic psychological consequences have not been determined: there is no hopelessness, low indications of post-traumatic stress disorder. The results have shown that an important and most commonly used means to handle stress is the use of alcohol. It has been determined that the largest social support received by officers is from their colleagues and families. |
