Year: 2015
Type: conference-paper
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Background & Aim 2. Methods ConclusionsDuring last years, and increased number of scientific studies revealed that policing is a stressful activity with cost for individuals and Police as an organization (Alkus & Padesky, 1983; Aaron, 2000; Morash et al., 2006; Webster, 2014).Consequences for police officers are usually described as physical diseases, reduced wellbeing, psychological symptoms and even suicide (Violanti et al., 2015).Since policing tasks involves high responsibility, psychological wellbeing and mental health of police officers is a concern for clinicians and researches, due the fact that some studies (Andersen et al., 2015; Castro & Cruz, 2015; Lawson et al., 2012; Velden et al., 2013) discuss that police officers are a high-risk group for the development of mental health disturbances.A comparative study between Portugal and Brazil began in 2015, aiming to identify psychopathology symptoms and mental health symptoms among police officers, and trying to contribute to the international discussion about psychological occupational health related with policing tasks.This study presents preliminary results of a Portuguese small sample.Participants: The sample was a group of 78 Portuguese police officers, being 76% male, aged between 28 and 57 years (M= 41,42 and SD=5,85), 74% married and 77% having children.They have high graduation (65%), mostly were inspectors (94%) working on homicides (17%), thief crimes (19%), sexual crimes (35%), drug crimes (12%) or economic crimes (8%), from Judiciary Police (Polícia Judiciária) brigades of different Portuguese cities.Their experience on this police force varies between 1 to 33 years (M=13,83 and SD=6,72) and on this crime type varies between 1 to 23 years (M=6,92 and SD=5,11).Instruments: Data were collected with a brief sociodemographic questionnaire, the Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20, Harding et al., 1980; Santos, Araújo & Oliveira, 2009) and the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI, Derogatis, 1982; Canavarro, 1999) Portuguese versions questionnaires.Procedure: After formal authorization, questionnaires were applied during training sessions at Judiciary Police Academy (Escola de Polícia Judiciária), using printed questionnaires fulfilled after voluntary acceptation to participate on the study, and respecting anonymous and confidential rules.
Authors: Cristina Queirós, Maria Cristina Drumond e Castro, Guida Manuel, Cristina Soeiro
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2525150529