Date of Award

Fall 12-4-2024

Embargo Period

12-4-2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Nursing Science

Department

Nursing

College

College of Nursing

First Advisor

Sarah Miller

Second Advisor

Tatiana Davidson

Third Advisor

Michelle Nichols

Fourth Advisor

Megan Thoen

Abstract

Police officers are exposed to repeated traumatic exposures (e.g., deaths, abuse, threats to personal and community member safety) and organizational stressors (e.g., poor leadership and support, low job control) throughout their careers. These job-related exposures and stressors have been shown to increase the officers’ risk for developing physical (e.g., cardiovascular disease, sleep deprivation) and mental health issues (e.g., depression, anxiety, hypervigilance, post-traumatic stress disorder, hopelessness, substance abuse, self-isolation, suicidal ideations). Outside of their work environment and duties, factors and stressors related to the officer (e.g., beliefs, values, coping strategies, personality, life experiences), interpersonal relationship dynamics (e.g., work-family demands, conflict, support), and public policy (e.g., laws, policies) can mitigate or amplify officer stress. Regardless of the known mental wellbeing risk factors officers face, they have been found to underutilize mental wellbeing resources due to existing barriers (e.g., police culture, fear of being viewed as weak, stigma).

This dissertation evaluated police officers' use of coping strategies, current help seeking behaviors and stereotyping, knowledge of available mental wellbeing resources (departmental and community-based), officer valence of perceptions (positive, neutral, negative) of those resources using a multi-methods approach. The Socioecological Model (SEM) was used as the theoretical framework for the manuscripts in this dissertation due to its understanding of the five influential areas (intrapersonal, interpersonal, organizational, community, and public policy) that can affect a person. The first manuscript was an integrative review to identify and gain a comprehensive understanding of the types of coping strategies used by police officers in relationship to the five influential levels of the SEM. Since people deal with stressors utilizing various coping strategies, this review evaluated 33 studies assessing officers’ use of adaptive (positive), maladaptive (negative), and ones that could fall into both categories. This search revealed various coping strategies (n=79) that officers utilized. Strategies were arranged within the SEM levels, with the intrapersonal level (n=79) leading, followed by interpersonal (n=19), organizational (n=16), community (n=7), and public policy (n=1). Adaptive coping strategies (n=40) outnumbered maladaptive (n=28) and both (n=11) categories, showing officers were choosing more positive ways to deal with stress.

The second manuscript was a cross-sectional quantitative study aimed at evaluating police officers’ current mental health help seeking attitudes and intentions (intrapersonal), and stereotyping of others (interpersonal) who seek mental health help using three comparison groups based on the officer’s mental distress level. The statistical data was compared using three mental distress level groups (low, moderate, and high). Findings revealed officers reported more positive views regarding themselves and others seeking mental health help. These results contradict previously known research studies.(1,2) Most of the officers (n=244, 96.8%) fell within the low (n=141) and moderate (n=103) versus the high (n=8) mental distress groups. Statistical significance was found in 1) age and mental distress level, 2) gender on mental health help seeking attitudes, intentions, and stereotyping, and 3) years of experience and mental distress levels. Though the relationship between gender and help seeking attitudes was found to be statistically significant, it was not found to be clinically relevant.

The third manuscript was a qualitative study using a phenomenological approach and template analysis style for thematic analysis aimed at understanding police officer knowledge of available departmental and community-based mental wellbeing resources and perceptions of a variety of mental wellbeing resources (e.g., peer mentoring/support, critical incidence stress management, professional counseling, self-help using one-on-one semi-structured interviews. Results provided the officers valence of perceptions (positive, neutral, negative) regarding the mental wellbeing resources and reasons behind these perceptions, intrapersonal factors, barriers and facilitators to help seeking and resource participation. To our knowledge, this is the first time police officers 1) were asked about their perceptions regarding seven to nine mental wellbeing resources currently known to be used within the police population, and 2) three quantitative scales measuring help seeking behaviors and stereotyping within the police population.

Rights

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