Daily Organisational Hassles and Uplifts as Determinants of Psychological and Physical Health in a Sample of New Zealand Police

Abstract

This study investigated the role of minor daily events (organisational hassles and uplifts) as determinants of psychological distress and selfrated health in a sample of 326 New Zealand police officers. Hassles were associated with negative outcomes, and uplifts with positive health outcomes. Tests of relationships between hassles, uplifts and health showed that hassles were not positively correlated with uplifts and that the hassles and health relationship was not moderated by uplifts, however, the prediction that more hassles than uplifts would negatively affect health was supported. These results suggest that both decreasing hassles and increasing uplifts are promising approaches to organisational improvement of health. Some suggestions for the improvement of the police specific measure of hassles and uplifts are made for future exploration of the relationships between positive and negative experiences at work in regard to stress.

Introversion and the frequency and intensity of daily uplifts and hassles

“…Importantly, uplifts and hassles not only make up the topography of daily life (i.e., everyday highs and lows), but these experiences (and individual differences in them) also have implications for health and well‐being. For example, higher frequency and intensity of hassles have been associated with greater disease prevalence, more illness and mental‐health‐related symptoms, worse subjective health, and increased risk of mortality (e.g., Bolger & Zuckerman, 1995; Charles et al, 2013; Chiang et al, 2018; Delongis et al, 1982; Kanner et al, 1981; Stephens & Pugmire, 2008; for review see Almeida et al, 2011), which potentially results from the cumulative wear‐and‐tear of chronic stress on physiological and psychological systems (Charles et al, 2013; Smyth et al, 2013; McEwen, 1998). Experiencing more uplifts has been linked with better self‐rated and objective measures of physical health, fewer mental health symptoms, and greater life satisfaction and hedonic well‐being (Kanner et al, 1987; Lyons & Chamberlain, 1994; Mayberry & Graham, 2001; Pressman et al, 2009; Sin et al, 2015; Sin & Almeida, 2018; Stephens & Pugmire, 2008), perhaps in part because uplifts (and associated positive emotions) may buffer the effects of hassles and other stressors (Ong et al, 2004, 2006; Ong & Allaire, 2005; Pressman et al, 2009; Sin & Almeida, 2018).…”

“…For example, higher frequency and intensity of hassles have been associated with greater disease prevalence, more illness and mental‐health‐related symptoms, worse subjective health, and increased risk of mortality (e.g., Bolger & Zuckerman, 1995; Charles et al, 2013; Chiang et al, 2018; Delongis et al, 1982; Kanner et al, 1981; Stephens & Pugmire, 2008; for review see Almeida et al, 2011), which potentially results from the cumulative wear‐and‐tear of chronic stress on physiological and psychological systems (Charles et al, 2013; Smyth et al, 2013; McEwen, 1998). Experiencing more uplifts has been linked with better self‐rated and objective measures of physical health, fewer mental health symptoms, and greater life satisfaction and hedonic well‐being (Kanner et al, 1987; Lyons & Chamberlain, 1994; Mayberry & Graham, 2001; Pressman et al, 2009; Sin et al, 2015; Sin & Almeida, 2018; Stephens & Pugmire, 2008), perhaps in part because uplifts (and associated positive emotions) may buffer the effects of hassles and other stressors (Ong et al, 2004, 2006; Ong & Allaire, 2005; Pressman et al, 2009; Sin & Almeida, 2018). Thus, it would be valuable to have a better understanding of how hassles and uplifts vary by introversion‐extraversion level, because the daily wear‐and‐tear related to having fewer (or less uplifting) positive experiences and more (or more unpleasant) negative experiences may be a mechanism whereby introversion is related to poorer health.…”

Effects of Stress on 9-1-1 Call-Takers and Police Dispatchers

“…The repetitive exclusion from the fraternity of sworn uniformed officers can build resentment and exacerbate the perception of institutional unfairness among civilian dispatch staff (Shernock, 1988). Recent research also suggests that organizational stressors, such as unfair work practices and workload, have an impact on both physical and psychological stress outcomes of police officers and that the outcomes appear to be just as significant as those experienced by traumatic events (Huddleston, Stephens, & Paton, 2007;Sheehan & Van Hasselt, 2003;Stephens & Pugmire, 2008).…”