Role identification, community socio-economic status demands, and stress outcomes in police officers

Abstract

This study applied the job demands–resources and conservation of resources models to police work, with the specific aim to examine the possible interaction between objectively measured work demands (community socio-economic status (SES)) and personal resources (role identification) on stress-related outcomes. A total of 89 officers from 10 small, suburban police departments (five from high SES areas and five from low SES areas) completed surveys that focused on community SES demands and role identification as factors that potentially influence positive and negative psychological outcomes. Results indicated that community (SES) demands and role identification interacted to predict a variety of the outcomes. Role identification as a psychological resource served to reduce the effects of high community SES demands on emotional exhaustion. Implications of these results for future police research are discussed.

Keywords:

• role identification
• police officers
• stress
• strain
• job demands–resources model
• conservation of resources theory