Background
The topic of the project is “Burnout in Police Officers,” which is closely related to the field of psychology. The connection is manifested through the combination of emotional, mental, and physical aspects in the concept of burnout. Excessive fatigue is often caused by chronic stress and continuous tiredness, which are common among police officers. To date, research in this area has primarily focused on various dimensions, including burnout predictors, prevention approaches, coping methods, and the impact of special work requirements (such as the need to wear body cameras) on law enforcement employees.
Research questions posed for the current project include the mentioned issues and sound as follows:
- What are the primary predictors of burnout among police officers?
- What interventions have been implemented to prevent and/or address officer burnout?
- What are the most typical burnout coping methods among police officers?
- What is the effect of innovative professional technology use on police officers’ burnout rates?
Reviewing the literature on the topic enables the identification of evidence on its psychological relevance, as well as the identification of gaps in existing scholarly studies and the setting of goals for bridging these gaps. Learning about the early predictors of burnout will enable the identification of the project’s variables. Meanwhile, reviewing the existing approaches to mitigating the issue will create an opportunity to find out their benefits and limitations.
Predictors of Police Officers’ Burnout
Overview
Studies focused on burnout predictors among law enforcement officers primarily concern aspects such as sleep patterns, working hours, shifts, and emotional exhaustion (McCarty et al., 2019; Peterson et al., 2019). Researchers have noted that police officers experience a high level of depersonalization (McCarty et al., 2019). Furthermore, it has been found that workload and personal values have a considerable impact on the development of burnout (McCarty et al., 2019; Peterson et al., 2019). Scholars note that at present, US officers face “the myriad challenges” due to higher performance standards, community engagement, and crime prevention (McCarty et al., 2019, p. 279). Irregular schedules and sleep patterns have been reported as significant predictors of burnout in law enforcement (Peterson et al., 2019).
The methodology applied in both reviewed studies was the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). This approach is a relevant one since the MBI is regarded as the leading measure of burnout. In both studies, the sample sizes were relatively large: 13,146 in McCarty et al. (2019) and 3,140 in Peterson et al. (2019). Peterson et al. (2019) hypothesized that a high variation in shifts leads to a higher level of burnout. Meanwhile, McCarty et al.’s (2019) article does not contain a hypothesis. However, it contains a list of variables, which makes it easier to follow the authors’ research intentions.
Gaps Identified
Based on the reviewed articles, it is possible to compile a list of concepts that help predict police officers’ burnout. Hence, with the use of these factors, one can identify those that will be evaluated in the present project. Predictors of burnout, such as shift duration, shift patterns, and exhaustion, can be utilized in the project to gather updated information on the first research question. It will be helpful to include a hypothesis in the project to clarify whether the research intentions have been pursued. The lack of a clear hypothesis in the study by McCarty et al. (2019) did not permit this option.
Interventions to Address Burnout
Overview
The second section of the literature review focuses on interventions associated with burnout and their impact on police officers. Although McCarty et al. (2019) state that there is currently a lack of sound evaluations of interventions aimed at studying burnout levels, there exist articles whose authors have investigated the potential of mindfulness to mitigate the negative impact of burnout. Christopher et al. (2020) investigated the impact of mindfulness on the stress, aggression, and overall health of police officers. Meanwhile, Trombka et al. (2018) focus their research on the impact of mindfulness on reducing burnout. Both of these articles’ findings are useful for the present project. Kaplan et al. (2020) analyze the effect of mindfulness on burnout and alcohol use.
Both Christopher et al. (2020) and Trombka et al. (2018) utilized a randomized controlled trial to pursue their research goals. Such a method is effective as it increases the likelihood of receiving unbiased results. However, in Trombka et al.’s (2018)article, no active control intervention was utilized, which makes it challenging to apply and verify the approach suggested. Furthermore, Christopher et al.’s (2020) research design is limited by a combined (group and individual) approach. Kaplan et al.’s (2020) article adopted a secondary analysis of data collected as part of a larger randomized controlled trial. Overall, however, the reviewed studies provide a solid basis for investigating mindfulness as a viable approach to combating burnout.
Gaps Identified
The study by Christopher et al. (2020) enrolled participants from two urban areas, while Trombka et al.’s (2018) research included two types of police officers. The choice of samples in both cases presents a limitation that needs to be addressed in the present study. To address the gap in the sample presented in Christopher et al.’s (2020) research, the project will include police officers from a broader range of areas. Meanwhile, unlike Trombka et al.’s (2018) approach, the project will focus solely on police officers, rather than also analyzing the burnout of civil guards. Finally, as noted by Kaplan et al. (2020), it is also important to clarify which health outcomes benefit most from mindfulness.
Coping Strategies
Overview
A crucial element of the present project is identifying the most effective coping strategies for police officers experiencing burnout. Studies by Fansher et al. (2020) and Queirós et al. (2020) focus on the methods employed by law enforcement officers to mitigate the negative consequences of burnout. Fansher et al. (2020) report that general support and the use of humor are the most commonly favored coping strategies among police officers. Moreover, support from coworkers was marked as a more useful coping approach than support from family and friends. Queirós et al. (2020) identified three types of coping: resilient, task-oriented, and avoidance-oriented.
While both studies bear a high degree of reliability and validity, it is evident that the current state of knowledge about burnout-coping strategies is not satisfactory. Reviewed articles present valid findings, but they are so diverse in terms of research question and focus that it is difficult to make a unanimous conclusion about coping approaches. For instance, Fansher et al. (2020) note that a high degree of compassion satisfaction has the potential to mitigate burnout symptoms. Meanwhile, Queirós et al. (2020) focus on the significance of management quality and the number of responsibilities as factors affecting the coping process. Overall, the research question concerning coping strategies is represented in the scholarly literature to a lesser extent than burnout predictors and interventions.
Gaps Identified
While the literature under review contains useful findings, some gaps need to be filled regarding it. Firstly, Fansher et al. (2020) analyzed the coping strategies of forensic interviewers only, which limits the scope of their findings to other departments within law enforcement. Thus, the present project will not be limited to one specialization of police officers. Secondly, Queirós et al.’s (2020) analysis was based on Portuguese law enforcement officers, whereas the present project aims to investigate burnout in US officers. Therefore, while both reviewed studies are valuable for the project’s purposes, it will be necessary to customize the research participant sample in several categories to increase the research’s usefulness for this particular study.
The Effect of Innovative Technologies
Overview
The fourth research question of the project concerns the impact of body-worn cameras on police officers’ burnout. Two articles have been reviewed under this section: Adams and Mastracci’s (2018) research on body-worn cameras’ effect on officers’ burnout and Lum et al.’s (2019) research on body-worn cameras. Adams and Mastracci (2018) employed the structural modeling methodology to investigate the impact of impact-worn cameras on officers’ burnout. Meanwhile, Lum et al. (2019) do not describe a transparent methodology and focus on the effect of cameras on officers’ behavior rather than burnout. Therefore, while research indicates that wearing body cameras hurts law enforcement officers, further analysis is needed to determine which dimensions of work and personal well-being are affected by the use of these technologies.
Gaps Identified
The reviewed literature provides a limited scope of evidence on the effect of body-worn cameras on officers’ burnout. While Adams and Mastracci (2018) discuss the negative implications of body-worn cameras on police officers’ burnout rates, they acknowledge that further research is needed to gain a deeper understanding of the issue. Furthermore, Lum et al.’s (2019) article does not analyze the use of cameras in relation to burnout at all. Therefore, the fourth research question, as well as the third, requires more attention and should be analyzed thoroughly in the project.
Summary: How the Paper Will Fill In the Missing Gaps
Based on the review of the literature, it is possible to conclude that the first two research questions are better researched than the last two. Regarding the project, the following aspects of the literature can be summarized. Firstly, when researching the predictors of burnout in police officers, the project should consider aspects such as shift duration, shift patterns, and exhaustion. This will enable the reflection of the most vital signs of burnout, which will further lead to the development of solutions to eliminate them.
Secondly, when analyzing a mindfulness intervention for burnout mitigation, it is crucial to use a homogeneous sample and focus on police officers, rather than comparing them with other professions, even if they are related. Thirdly, it is necessary to pay more attention to coping strategies and include more questions regarding those in the project’s questionnaire. Fourthly, the question of the effect of body-worn cameras on police officers’ burnout also warrants an in-depth investigation, as current findings are insufficient. Apart from that, it is necessary to be cautious when selecting the sample and methodology, as several gaps in the reviewed studies are related to these aspects.
References
Adams, I., & Mastracci, S. (2018). Police body-worn cameras: Effects on officers’ burnout and perceived organizational support. Police Quarterly, 22(1).
Christopher, M., Bowen, S., & Witkiewitz, K. (2020). Mindfulness-based resilience training for aggression, stress and health in law enforcement officers: Study protocol for a multisite, randomized, single-blind clinical feasibility trial. Trials, 21.
Fansher, A. K., Zedaker, S. B., & Brady, P. Q. (2020). Burnout among forensic interviewers, how they cope, and what agencies can do to help. Child Maltreatment, 25(1), 117-128.
Kaplan, J., Bergman, A. L., Green, K., Dapolonia, E., & Christopher, M. (2020). Relative impact of mindfulness, self-compassion, and psychological flexibility on alcohol use and burnout among law enforcement officers. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 26(12), 1190-1194.
Lum, C., Stoltz, M., Koper, C., & Scherer, J. A. (2019). Research on body‐worn cameras. Criminology & Public Policy, 18(1), 93-118.
McCarty, W. P., Aldirawi, H., Dewald, S., & Palacios, M. (2019). Burnout in blue: An analysis of the extent and primary predictors of burnout among law enforcement officers in the United States. Police Quarterly, 22(3), 278-304.
Peterson, S. A., Wolkow, A. P., Lockley, S. W., O’Brien, C. S., Qadri, S., Sullivan, J. P., Czeisler, C. A., Rajaratnam, S. M. W., & Barger, L. K. (2019). Associations between shift work characteristics, shift work schedules, sleep and burnout in North American police officers: A cross-sectional study. BMJ Open, 9(11), e030302.
Queirós, C., Passos, F., Bártolo, A., Faria, S., Fonseca, S. M., Marques, A. J., Silva, C. F., & Pereira, A. (2020). Job stress, burnout and coping in police officers: Relationships and psychometric properties of the organizational police stress questionnaire. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17, 6718.
Trombka, M., Demarzo, M., Bacas, D. C., Antonio, S. B., Cicuto, K., Salvo, V., Claudino, F. C. A., Ribeiro, L., Christopher, M., Garcia-Campayo, J., & Rocha, N. S. (2018). Study protocol of a multicenter randomized controlled trial of mindfulness training to reduce burnout and promote quality of life in police officers: The POLICE study. BMC Psychiatry, 18.