Exploring differences between the health and wellness of state police officers and community corrections professionals.

Abstract

DEDICATIONThis dissertation is dedicated to Brees and Ezra Copenhaver. Brees, you never cease to amaze me with the things you are able to do and the new skills you learn each day. Ezra, you are my little guy with those big baby blue eyes and his mommy's personality. I love you both so very much and I hope the completion of this dissertation is the beginning of a better life for both of you.iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank my mentoring professor, Dr. Richard Tewksbury for his oversight on this project and for guiding me for the last year and a half. He has taught me to have more confidence in myself, to aim higher, and to never sell myself short. For that, I am grateful. He has also taught me not to take things as seriously as I otherwise would. I have already benefited from this advice and certainly will in the future as well.I would also like to thank Dr. David Roelfs for the hours he has spent/worked with me on the statistical aspect of this project. To see this project through with me, no doubt, took some patience, of which I am most appreciative. I would also like to thank Dr. Thomas This dissertation is a comparison study of health and wellness outcomes for a sample of law enforcement officers and a sample of community corrections professionals within the same state. As such, it is the first attempt to determine and compare the independent variables which are significant predictors of law enforcement officer and community corrections professionals' health and wellness for criminal justice employees working in the same context. Data used in the research was gathered from nearly identical health and wellness surveys distributed to the sample of law enforcement officers and the sample of community corrections professionals. Logistic, negative binomial, and Poisson regression analyses were performed to determine which independent variables are significant predictors of officer and professionals' health and wellness outcomes. Results show several factors are significant predictors of both officer and professionals' health and wellness, with law enforcement organizational factors being the most frequent predictors of law enforcement health and wellness.Demographic variables are the most frequent significant predictors of professionals' vi health and wellness. It is concluded that variables predictive of officer and professionals' health and wellness differ, necessitating different policy approaches designed to address issues associated with officer and professionals' health and wellness.vii

Predicting Health and Wellness Outcomes for Probation and Parole Officers: An Exploratory Study

“…Correlations between sleep and mood patterns are difficult to interpret, although they are frequently observed in research, because mood can cause a lack of sleep, or inversely, a lack of sleep can affect one’s mood (National Sleep Foundation, 2019). The relationship between officer depression and officers feeling in control of their jobs is not surprising given previous research has demonstrated an association between officers feeling in control of their jobs and significantly lower chances of experiencing depression (see Copenhaver, 2016). At the same time, research generally shows that depression correlates significantly with occupational stressors of law enforcement (Bhui, Dinos, Stansfeld, & White, 2012).…”

Coffee, Energy Drinks Consumption and Caffeine Use Disorder Among Law Enforcement College Students in Hungary

“…Based on these results, it was concluded that the consumption of energy shots could compromise aiming accuracy and shot placement, thereby jeopardizing the health and welfare of law enforcement personnel (Monaghan et al, 2017;Monaghan et al, 2014). On the other hand, according to Copenhaver (2016), as officers consume more stimulant drinks per shift they also drink alcohol for a greater number of days per week, normally consume an alcoholic drink after work, sleep less, and consume more fast food. Based on previous studies, it was also assumed that CUD is more prevalent among females than males (H.2).…”

How cops see themselves

“…A wealth of research on law enforcement officer health and wellness demonstrates that when officers experience mental health issues they have a difficult time completing the real-world requirements of their occupation. This means that if officers are struggling with mental health issues, or a lack of confidence, they may not be able to adequately to pursue suspects, detain suspects, or perform other tasks such as operating their patrol cars (Copenhaver, 2016). The literature in the area of officer confidence is most easily understood in terms of officer positive self-regard and physical confidence.…”