Psychosocial factors linked to the occupational psychological health of police officers: Preliminary study

In the literature, the police environment is considered to be in a category of jobs with a high level of stress. More and more police officers are at work for stress-related psychological health problems. It is possible that the work functions associated with this professional field make police officers vulnerable to the psychological health problems. To date, the statement is obvious. Literature on the psychological health of police officers remains inadequate. To our knowledge, no study has examined factors that may contribute to or harm the psychological health of police officers. A sample of 12 police officers was interviewed during the winter of 2016 for this qualitative study. The officers participated voluntarily in a semi-directed interview conducted using a predefined interview guide. The purpose of this study was to determine the predictive factors associated with psychological health in the police officers' workplaces. An inductive analysis of all the statements collected was conducted and the results were divided into three factors: socioeconomic (budget cuts and social pressure), organizational (police culture, managerial instability, leadership, recognition and interpersonal support) and personal (self-employed, efficiency, emotional abilities and disillusionment). This study can serve as a premise for police organizations to question their influence on the psychological health of police officers. This qualitative study aims to initiate innovative reflection in a sector where the development of knowledge is currently insufficient.