Causes and Effects of Workplace Stress in the Police Force - Term Paper Example

College name Program name Course name Course Code Project title Academic year-Semester Contents College name 1 Contents 2 Executive summary 3 1. Introduction 3 2. The importance of the work force wellness in the work place 4 3. Causes of occupational stress 5 3.1 Personal factors 5 3.2 Job demands 6 3.3 Organizational structure and climate 6 3.4 The police force conditions 7 4. Reactions to occupational stress 8 4.1Emotional impacts 8 4.2 Behavioral reactions 8 4.3 Physiological reactions 9 5. Interventions for occupational stress 10 5.1 Primary prevention interventions 10 5.2 Secondary interventions 11 5.3Tertiary interventions 11 5.4 The HeartMath self-management tool 11 6. Conclusion 13 References 14 Executive summary Putting occupational wellness and safety at the fulcrum of organizational structure enhances personal, institutional and societal wellness. It promises maximum physical and cognitive activity, optimal functionality at the workplace, a socially safe, stable and certain working environment along with other health promotion factors responsible for quality and longevity of human life. The opposite means that segments of the society would continue to suffer injurious emotional, social and physiological consequences that diminish individual and organizational productivity. Chronic absenteeism, resignations, strikes, sick offs, divorce, suicide, homicide, violence and some terminal medical conditions epitomize unhealthy workplaces. Having been identified as an impediment to occupational wellness, workplace stress can be conclusively dealt with at the primary stage. Where this fails, programs for secondary and tertiary interventions are viable. This paper proposes an expanded HeartMath program for the police department. 1. Introduction Creation and maintenance of a healthy organization should be ultimate goal of any institution. However, the greatest obstacle and manifestation of deficient organizational wellness and safety for its workers is the workplace stress. The World Health Organization defines occupational stress as the behavioral, emotional, mental and bodily reactions to perceived threats of job content, job organization and job environment (WHO, 4). Occupational therapists rank the police force among the three topmost organizations bedeviled by workplace stress (Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health, 1). The high magnitude of police force stress arises from the nature of this occupation whose success greatly depends on swiftness of action, clarity of judgment and efficient coordination of activity. Loss of life, injury, accidents, the use of excessive force and subsequent legal and civil actions that may dent the credibility of the police force, therefore, precariously hang above the police officer and induce stress in high proportions (Moore and Donohue 42). And going by Lazarus’ ( 1) definition of stress as any situational or circumstantial change that demands behavioral change, the police operate in seamless stressful environment which depletes their body energies and defensive mechanisms responsible for reacting to occupational stress. This paper probes the nature, causes and effects of work place stress in the police force and proposes a workplace health and safety model that addresses occupational stress in the force. This is in cognizance of the fact that any error of judgment and action or inaction on the part of a police officer may lead to catastrophic consequences. It has been observed that the police officer’s constant exposure, in the line of duty, to situations that are life threatening warrants a course of action that may result to life or death of themselves and/or others (McCraty, Tomasino, Atkinson and Sundram, 2). Like other institutions, the law-enforcement department would greatly benefit from a healthy stress-free working environment as discussed in the subsequent section. 2. The importance of the work force wellness in the work place Investing in the wellness of workers accrues benefits for the individual, the organization and the society at large. An organization that deliberately creates effective programs for preventing and managing stress can be described as healthy. The ideal healthy organization maintains a working environment that is relatively stress-free and eliminates possibilities of secondary and tertiary stress (Cartwright and Cooper 202-203). In discussing the characteristics of a healthy organization, Cartwright and Cooper identify low stress levels, good safety and accident records, good industrial relations or infrequent industrial actions, litigation-free working environment and a lower staff turnover for resignation, absenteeism and sickness than the national average. Such levels of wellness, though well be beyond the reach of many organizations, should be the goal of all institutions. To the worker, for example, wellness in the workplace means job satisfaction, physical and mental soundness, positive inter-personal relationship at work and, by extension, at home and improved professional prospects. The organization benefits from the optimal productivity and performance, high levels of commitment that translate into high morale, loyalty and staff-retention. Economic gains from low staff attrition, absenteeism, rehabilitation and sickness. The society dependent on the worker (the family) and the organization (the city) in this case the police department will reap the full benefits of their service and not suffer any backlash. 3. Causes of occupational stress Kendall, Murphy, O’Neil and Brusnall (21-39) discuss factors that cause or exacerbate workplace stress. They categorize them as personal vulnerability, job demands and organizational structure. Each of the factors is discussed briefly below. 3.1 Personal factors These factors define what in the workplace an individual finds stressful how it affects him and how it is dealt with at the personal level. The degree at which workers perceive a situation or event as stressful varies from person to person. The factors for personal vulnerability include aspects of personality, negative affections, cognitive disorientation, psychological hardiness, coping styles inadequate personal resources and family-work conflicts (Kendall et al 22-30). In this regard, some workplace conditions may exacerbate an already existing personality. Some individuals display predictable negative or positive reactions irrespective of the stimuli in the work place while others believe that they are hardy and resistant to strenuous situations (Kendall et al 30). The coping styles come from experience and/or learning. 3.2 Job demands This group of stressors perfectly falls within what the WHO definition cited at the onset calls the job content. These stressful conditions imposed on the worker originate from the nature of job description or lack of it. Kendal et al look at job demands from the perspective of workload, pressure of time, work role ambiguity, work place conflicts and the emotional demands of work. These work-specific constraints may form a constant source of occupational discomfort. Other ways of looking at this source include challenges imposed by job complexity, less autonomy of one’s job, private and public demands to deliver in the job and security of tenure (Colligan and Higgins 94-95). 3.3 Organizational structure and climate The work place climate is the job context within which the worker who is part of it operates. The work environment constrains both formal and informal relationships. It extends beyond working instruments and space to the organizational objectives and values which a worker might find stressful to cope with. The organizational climate is best understood in terms of economic globalization and technological impacts that define among other things the worker and job interface, work and worker’s perceptions or appraisal, the organizational culture and socialization and the human resource practices. Among the human resource deficiencies cited to militate against workplace wellness and safety include mismanagement of change which leads to instability and uncertainty; devolution of the human resource management that cause unprofessional management of workers ‘plight; inadequate staff appraisal and counseling programs; inadequate management of workforce diversity and the diminishing role of employees’ unions in decision-making (Kendall et al 39-41). 3.4 The police force conditions The three predisposing factors to occupational stress discussed have different manifestations in the police force given the unique job demands and workplace environment. The workplace for the law enforcers extends from the police stations to an entire city or municipality. Operational stressors the police is constantly exposed to in the line of duty include violence, confrontations, personal dangers, the imminent t fear of retribution from the criminals and close scrutiny by the public eye . Some of the operational pressures come from shifts, long hours, fatigue and lack of sleep. Administrative/ organizational stressors the police have to deal with include shift work timelines that interfere with their normal social life and sleep schedules. Others are strict and unchallengeable administrators, negative work relations with the immediate bosses, work politics, inadequate work plans and resources, unpredictable transfers, lack of promotions and autonomy, no recognition for achievements and insufficient remuneration. The uncertainty clouding police work and the officer’s safety aggravate occupational stress for the officer. Adderley and Smith (10) document the leading stressful engagements in the UK police and the resultant heart rate as follows: motor cycle training of the public, arrest and general patrol. The other sources include attending to an emergency, other reported incidents and office duties in that order of priority. 4. Reactions to occupational stress Five broad categories of reactions to stress at the workplace have been identified: emotional, behavioral, cognitive, physiological and organizational some of which are briefly discussed. 4.1Emotional impacts Occupation stress may give rise to mild or chronic negative emotional states in an individual. The hormone responsible for these changes cortisol if secreted into the bloodstream prolonged and high quantities may cause both negative emotional and negative physiological adjustments. The psychological disorders associated with the workplace stress in the police force include chronic emotional disorders like depression, anger and anxiety which may occasion burnout and emotional breakdown (Burke, Shearer and Deszca 788). Exposure to incidents of disasters and violence among the police force can increase the incidents of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among the force. 4.2 Behavioral reactions Behavioral reactions to stressful working conditions have great impacts on the worker’s wellness, family, employer and community. The extreme forms of behavioral reaction claim lives of the employee or those around him. Unchecked emotional reactions to stressful work conditions has led to increased cases of brutality and homicide among the within the police force. A research on the mortality of municipal workers revealed that the mortality rate from suicide within the police ranks is almost thrice higher than other city workers (Vena, Violanti, Marshall and Fiedler 387). Milder behavioral reactions by the officers manifest in poor family relationships (with children and spouses). This may account for the high levels of marital fracture and divorce in the force. Horizontal and vertical rank relationships in the force are scarcely open and sincere. 4.3 Physiological reactions If the strains caused by occupational stress in the police force are not well managed, physical and physiological health disorders can occur. Research has found that police officers suffer from high blood pressure and have more cortisol secretion levels than clerks (Ely and Mostardy 77). They are also twice more predisposed to cardiovascular disease than workers in other professions (Franke, Collins and Hinz 441). Their death rate from cancer is also high compared to the average citizens (Vena et al 383). 4.4 Organizational reactions Occupational stress negatively impacts on organizational performance as a result of chronic absenteeism, workforce turnover, unsafe job practices, increased incidents of accidents customer complaints and compromised productivity (WHO, 9-10). Reduction of work efficiency, lack of motivation, loss of work drive and uncalled for retirement are closely associated with unmanaged stress. 5. Interventions for occupational stress A number of studies have indicated that the very environment that the police operate in facilitates emotional detachment from self and others (Coman and Evans 135). A change in the working environment that mitigates the effects of all the types of stressors discussed elsewhere in this paper will ensure that the police work with minimum strain. Stress management programs have been proposed by Kendall et al (88-103). They include primary prevention strategies, secondary interventions and tertiary management programs. A brief discussion of each is appropriate. 5.1 Primary prevention interventions These can take proactive or reactive dimensions (Kendall et al 88). The focus of the proactive is more on the workplace than the workers since they emphasize stress provoking free working environments. In spite of their advantages, proactive strategies are shunned by many organizations due to cost implications. They often prefer reactive individual-focused programs which identify and change conditions of workers and the workplace with stress-provoking potential. One major primary intervention is the creation of a healthy organization which shares the responsibility of managing primary stress between the organization and the work force (Jaffe 1). This instrument prioritizes worker participation in managing change, redesigning work, and communication. A healthy organization strives to match jobs with the employee training and needs, manage and reward performance, inform and involve employees and provide support for the employee’s lifestyle and family (Wearing and Hart 1). Healthy organizations nurture a healthy worker-worker-employer relationships, openness, honesty, understanding, negotiation, flexibility and transparency. 5.2 Secondary interventions These strategies address occupational stress already manifest in a worker or workplace. Psychiatrists, counselors, psychologists and medics play a major role at this level. Suggested interventions, thus, include medical treatment such as pharmacological prescriptions for psychological injuries; psychological treatment such as the cognitive-behavioral interventions for managing PTSDs among other stress disorders; and the employee assistance programs (EAPs) which are designed to enable the diagnosed stressed worker to deal with the condition as well as maximize performance at work. Constructive confrontation and professional counseling have been identified as some tools for EAP (Kendall et al 101). 5.3Tertiary interventions Tertiary interventions find relevance cases where occupational stress takes toll on the workers and greatly impairs them or their performance and/or retention at the workplace. The tertiary programs manage the psychological injury, disability and return to work. Ideally if the three interventions run concurrently, the benefits of tertiary interventions do increase. Occupational rehabilitation has been proposed as an effective treatment for the three domains of for tertiary interventions (Kendall et al 108). 5.4 The HeartMath self-management tool HeartMath is a stress management tool for designed by the Institute of HeartMath (IM). It is a self-management program that generally trains and equips users to achieve overall wellness and safety in the workplace. It specifically focuses on stress reduction, performance enhancement, balance of the nervous system and reduction of negative emotions. The efficacy of this tool was tested by McCraty et al (4) at the police department at Santa Clara California, USA in three job scenarios namely searching a building, a hot pursuit car-chase and an armed domestic violence intervention. The HeartMath program has an inbuilt three major sub-devices namely Freeze-Frame, Coherent Communication and Heart Lock-in. The first sub-technique trains the user to consciously disengage from the stressors while they are in a stressful situation by diverting attention to the heart area with a view of achieving a normal body functioning whose impulses when sent to the brain will restore the psychological and the physiological state of the individual The Freeze-Frame device appropriately works before and after entering the stressful scenario. The Coherent Communication underscores the role of communication breakdown as a major source of stress. Lack of communication in the workplace (or even at home) results into the feelings of isolation, intimidation, mistrust and hostility. So, this sub-device aims at opening up the users to effectively share ideas, fears and emotions. Interpersonal communication effectively stops the internal dialogue which is a conduit for stressors. The last HeartMath sub-device, the Heart Lock-In, allows the users to effectively retain ideal physiological states for long periods. It is designed to help the individual to maintain desired emotional, heart, autonomic and hormonal functions and states. The user focuses on the heart area until the desired state is attained then maintains it. The efficacy study of this by McCraty et al made very important conclusions. One, the work environment for the police presented by the three scenarios greatly causes stress to the officers as indicated in the blood pressure and heart rate readings at these scenarios. Two, the HeartMath technique significantly reduces stress levels and restores the physiological and psychological states that enhance optimum productivity, mental clarity and physical performance although its efficacy improves with the length of time for training and use. 6. Conclusion The HeartMath program is a reactive strategy that seemingly deals relatively well with secondary stress. It operates very well where potential workplace stressors (exemplified in the scenarios) are well known. The user’s levels for emotional vulnerability and stability in stressful situations should also be assumed when using the device. Apart from the Coherent Communication segment which contributes to a healthy organization, the HeartMath device lacks primary and tertiary stress interventions. This is probably because it is designed for the worker and not the organization. An expanded version of the HeartMath program would incorporate three more functions. One function should proactively prevent a worker from getting locked by a stressor by either capacity building or job enrichment/redesign. The other function would enable the worker who has been victimized by the workplace stress to recover from injury or disability and smoothly return to work. The third should be a corporate function meant for mangers. It should preempt, prevent and cure systemic deficiencies in which occupational stress thrives. Early warning signal for secondary and tertiary therapies can also be inbuilt. With this kind of expansion, the proposed program will be useful at any point of entry. Occupational wellness and safety programs work well when they promote progressiveness and all-inclusiveness. References Adderley, Richard and Smith, Michelle. Position Paper: Assessing Stress in UK Operational Police Officers. IPES Working Paper No 22, July. 2010. Burke R, Shearer J, Deszca G. Burnout among men and women in policework: an examination of the Cherniss model. Journal of Health and Human Resource Administration 1984; 7:162-188. Cartwright, S., & Cooper, C. Coping in occupational settings. In M. Zieder & N.S. Endler (Eds.). Handbook of coping theory, research and applications 1996; New York: Wiley: 202-220. Centre for Occupational & Environmental Health. Occupational physicians reporting activity. Quarterly Report. Manchester: University of Manchester, March 2000. Collligan TW, Higgins EM. 2005 Workplace Stress: Etiology and Consequences. Journal of Workplace Behavioral Health, 2005; Vol. 21(2):89-97 Coman G, Evans B. Stressors facing Australian police in the 1990s. Police Studies 1991; 14(4):153-165. Cooper CL, Cartwright S. Healthy mind, healthy organisation: A proactive approach to occupational stress, Human Relations, 1994; 47, 455-470. Ely DL, Mostardi RA. The effect of recent life events stress, life assets, and temperament pattern on cardiovascular risk factors for Akron City police officers. J Human Stress 1986; 12(2):77-91. Franke WD, Collins SA, Hinz PN. Cardiovascular disease morbidity in an Iowa law enforcement cohort,compared with the general Iowa population. J Occup Environ Med 1998; 40(5):441-444. Jaffe, D. The Healthy Company: Research Paradigms for Personal and Organisational Health. In S. Sauter & M. Lawrence (Eds.), Organisational Risk Factors for Job Stress. 1995 Washington DC: American Psychological Association. Lazarus J. Stress Relief & Relaxation Techniques. 2000. Los Angeles: NTC/Contemporary Publishing Group, Inc. Kendall E, Murphy P, O’Neil V, Bursnall S. Occupational Stress: Factors that Contribute to its Occurrence and Effective Management 2000 Work Cover Western Australia McCraty, R, Tomasino D, Atkinson M, Sundram J. Impact of the HeartMath Self-Management Skills Program on Physiological and Psychological Stress in Police Officers 1999, Boulder Creek: HeartMath Research Center, Institute of HeartMath. Moore L, Donohue J. Working well: An organizational approach to preventing psychological injury – The patrol officer: special problems/special cures. Police Chief 1976; 45(Nov.):42. Vena JE, Violanti JM, Marshall J, Fiedler RC. Mortality of a municipal worker cohort: III. Police officers.Am J Ind Med 1986; 10(4):383-397. Violanti JM, Aron F. Sources of police stressors, job attitudes, and psychological distress. Psychol Rep 1993;72(3 Pt 1):899-904. Wearing, AJ, Hart PM. Managing organisational well-being: Using information systems for strategic planning and performance review. Health and Wellbeing in a Changing Work Environment: Proceedings of the National Occupational Stress Conference. 1996. Brisbane: Australian Psychological Society. WHO Raising Awareness of Stress at Work in Developing Countries : A modern hazard in a traditional working environment. 2007; Geneva: WHO. Read More