Coping strategies and physical health in police units dealing with serious crime: Does work experience count?

Abstract

Police work is stressful and can lead to absenteeism, withdrawal, and impaired physical health. However, the stress brought by work can be reduced by effective coping strategies. The aim of our study is to explore the relationship between health and coping strategies of officers in three different units dealing with serious crime (homicide and sexual offences, juvenile crime, and crime scene investigation). The moderating role of work experience in this relationship is also explored. We used the Coping Responses Inventory questionnaire to assess coping strategies and the Pennebaker Inventory of Limbic Languidness to measure physical symptoms. Overall, the sample included 104 respondents. The approach coping strategies prevail among all three units. However, avoidance-coping strategy use is associated with more frequent somatic symptoms (P= 0.005). These are particularly linked to the emotional discharge (P < 0.001), especially in the group of officers with longer years of service (P = 0.01). Still, when this strategy is used rarely or not at all, more experienced officers report fewer symptoms than their younger colleagues. Preventive programmes promoting adaptive coping strategies would benefit police officers since avoidance-coping strategies are linked to more frequent physical symptomatology. More experienced police officers with somatic complaints should be focused on in particular.