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Swedish Police Officers’ Job Strain, Work-Related Social Support and General Mental Health

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Abstract

This study investigated the association between psychosocial job characteristics and general mental health among police officers and the extent to which social support at work plays a role in this association. The findings are based on a cross-sectional survey. A written questionnaire was assessed by 714 police officers volunteered to participate in the study. The participants completed a series of validated instruments assessing job demand, control and social support at work (JDCS); general mental health (GHQ); and sociodemographic characteristics. High job strain was associated with low levels of work-related social support. Moreover, poor mental health was associated with low levels of work-related social support, active work and high job strain. The joint effect of high job strain and low levels of work-related social support had a significant effect on poor mental health. Work-related social support buffered job strain to some extent. Workforce health promotion policies should attempt to reduce job strain and emphasise the importance of work-related social support. Knowledge about police officers’ general mental health and policymakers’ support for police officers may have positive effects on the performance of the police force.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the European Return Fund under grant number R16-209-1-01.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, 90187, Umeå, Sweden

    Jonas Hansson & Anna-Karin Hurtig

  2. Basic Training Programme for Police Officers, Umeå University, 90187, Umeå, Sweden

    Jonas Hansson & Lars-Erik Lauritz

  3. Department of Social Work, Umeå University|, 90187, Umeå, Sweden

    Mojgan Padyab

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  1. Jonas Hansson
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  2. Anna-Karin Hurtig
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  3. Lars-Erik Lauritz
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  4. Mojgan Padyab
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Correspondence to Jonas Hansson.

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Hansson, J., Hurtig, AK., Lauritz, LE. et al. Swedish Police Officers’ Job Strain, Work-Related Social Support and General Mental Health. J Police Crim Psych 32, 128–137 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11896-016-9202-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11896-016-9202-0

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