Work‐family stress, conflict, coping, and burnout in police officers

Abstract

This study examined a research model developed to understand work satisfactions and emotional and physical well‐being among police officers. Data were collected from 828 men and women in police work using questionnaires completed anonymously. Although considerable diversity was present in the sample, a majority were male constables in their early careers. Five groups of predictor variables identified in previous research were considered: individual demographic and situational variables, work stressors, work‐family conflict, coping responses, and psychological burnout components. Work stressors and psychological burnout were fairly consistently and significantly related to levels of self‐reported work attitudes and emotional and physical well‐being. Somewhat surprisingly, work‐family conflict and individual coping responses were generally unrelated to measures of work attitudes and self‐reported emotional and physical well‐being.