Psychosocial work dimensions, exposure to violence, and burnout in relation to attitudes towards the use of force among Swedish patrolling police officers

Introduction: Police work involves stressors specific to police work
and to general organizational aspects of work. Some of the latter
has previously been identified as risk factors for burnout, particularly to increased degree of the burnout sub-dimension cynicism.
Cynicism has in turn been related to a positive attitude to the use of
force to solve problems. In the present study the relationships
between psychosocial work dimensions, exposure to threat and
violence, burnout, and attitudes towards the use of force to solve
problems were studied.
Methods: 509 patrolling policemen having worked as police officers 0-41 (Md04) years, participated in the study (50% response
rate). They responded to a questionnaire measuring demographic
variables, general psychosocial work dimensions (work load, control, community, reward, justice, and value conflicts) by Areas of
Work Life Survey, exposure to threat or violence the last year,
burnout by Maslach Burnout Inventory, and attitudes towards the
use of force. Attitude was analysed as dependent variable with the
other were block-wise entered into a regression analysis as predictor variables.
Results: In relation to an external reference group from the general
population the police group reported lower degree of emotional
exhaustion and cynicism and a higher sense of professional efficacy. They scored somewhat poorer than the reference group on the
work dimensions of control, organizational justice and value conflict. In the regression analysis 17.2% of the variance (adjusted R2)
in the attitude variable was explained. All blocks of variables
contributed significantly to R2 change. The variables particularly
contributing in the final model were: short tenure as police officer,
a high work load, having been exposed to violence the last year,
and higher degree of cynicism.
Conclusions: In spite of an overall favourably reported psychosocial
work environment, and good well-being, high work load as well as
cynicism was related to positive attitudes towards the use of force,
which is in line with previous studies from other countries. In addition, exposure to violence and a relative short experience as police
officer contributed to positive attitudes towards the use of force.
Keywords: attitudes, stress, risk factors