Citation

Horswill SC, Jones NA, Carleton RN. Can. J. Behav. Sci. 2021; 53(3): 285-295.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, Canadian Psychological Association, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1037/cbs0000221

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Potentially traumatic event exposures occur frequently in policing, yet relatively little research has been done on posttraumatic outcomes in Canadian federal and municipal officers. Given that posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in police populations represents a significant health concern and economic burden, clarifying risk and protective factors for PTSD would inform screening, training, and early intervention for Canadian police. The current research investigated the relationship between psychosocial variables [i.e., anxiety sensitivity (AS), intolerance of uncertainty (IU), childhood adversity, personality facets, work engagement, hope, optimism, and perceived social support] and trauma outcomes (i.e., PTSD, posttraumatic growth) in a sample of 500 Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and municipal officers deployed in Saskatchewan. Within the sample, 25% of RCMP officers and 12% of municipal officers screened positive for PTSD based on self-reported symptoms. Several psychosocial variables were statistically significantly (p <.05) associated with PTSD (i.e., high AS; high IU; low social support; and low optimism) and posttraumatic growth (i.e., greater PTSD severity; high agreeableness; and more adverse childhood events) for both RCMP and municipal participants. The psychosocial variables represent possible aims for prevention or intervention protocols across Canadian police populations. Comprehensive results, implications, and directions for the future research are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)

Keywords

Police Personnel; Posttraumatic Growth; Posttraumatic Stress; Posttraumatic Stress Disorder; Protective Factors; Psychosocial Factors; Risk Factors; Trauma