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The Covid-19 pandemic conveyed consequences for people's physical and mental health. During the worst pandemic scenarios, police officers were one of the most exposed populations. This situation brought these professionals unusual responsibilities, such as adjust work shifts and allocate police officers from operational and administrative services to the Covid-19 supervision teams and put them at an elevated risk of contracting the virus because they are also frontline workers too, and they often did not have personal protective equipment. Due to this, the main objective of this study was to analyze the psychometric properties of a Portuguese version of the Fear of Covid-19 among police officers, as well as to know how the fear of Covid-19 relates to the mental health during the worst wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in Portugal. Participants were 174 police officers aged between 23 and 58 years old (M = 40.81; SD = 6.83) who completed the Fear of Covid-19 Scale, the Operational Police Stress Questionnaire, and the Posttraumatic Disorder Checklist for DSM-5. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed a good adjustment fit for the two-factor model. Construct validity was supported, and the internal consistency was good for both periods of assessment. The model proved invariant for both groups (pre and during lockdown) at the measurement, scalar, and structural levels. Study findings suggest that the Portuguese Version of FCV-19S is a reliable measure to assess the fear of Covid-19 among police officers, including during the pandemic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior research has placed perceived organizational injustice as the main precursor of police corrupt tendencies. However, this line of research has largely ignored the role of equity sensitivity in the relations between organizational injustice and police corrupt tendencies. This is imperative because individuals' preferences for equal ratio of inputs to outcomes are not the same as the equity theory claimed. Therefore, the current study expanded previous research by examining the impact of equity sensitivity on police corrupt tendencies on one hand, and its moderating role in injustice-corrupt tendencies relationship on the other hand. A sample of 236 police officers in Nigeria participated in the study. Results of the hierarchical regression analysis indicated that corrupt tendencies were lower in police officers with higher equity sensitivity (i.e., benevolents) than those with low equity sensitivity (i.e., entitleds). Furthermore, the negative impact of perceived organizational injustice on corrupt tendencies was weaker for police with higher equity sensitivity. These findings have important implications for managerial practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Being a police officer is a very stressful job, characterized by occupational stressors that impact mental health and increasing work-family balance. Quantitative research is unable to clarify how police officers cope with the impact of work challenges on work-family balance. This study aims to understand how police officers narrate the impact of their work on their family experiences. Nineteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with Portuguese military police and civilian service forces working in the Northern region of Portugal. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed according to the principles of thematic analysis. The main themes indicate that participants are concerned about the work-family conflict. Both common and unique police officers' perceptions of the impact of professional challenges on work-family balance emerged among both groups. Common work-family balance challenges for both civilian and military police officers included a negative impact on family dynamics and the sharing work experiences with family, but also recognized positive impacts of the profession on the family. For military police officers, making decisions regarding career advancement is a specific challenge. This study enables clinicians and other professional groups, such as commanders and politicians, to further develop a deeper understanding of these challenges and their different levels of impact. It also allows for the development of targeted strategies aligned with the unique needs of these professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research undertaken was aimed at determine the predictors of secondary growth after trauma among police officers. The independent variables comprised five personality traits, secondary trauma self-efficacy, and ruminations about the events experienced by clients. The indicators of secondary exposure to trauma were professional experience in helping people after traumatic events and the numbers of hours in a week devoted to working with trauma survivors. The results of 682 police officers exposed to secondary trauma were analyzed. The study employed a survey and four standard tools. A high level of secondary posttraumatic growth was reported by 26% of examined police officers, a low level by 38%, and an intermediate level by nearly 36%. Secondary posttraumatic growth positively correlated with ruminations, especially deliberate ones, and to a lesser extent, with extraversion, openness to experience, and conscientiousness. Deliberate ruminations appeared the main predictor of SPTG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Job Demands-Resources model postulates job resources to directly promote employees' mental health and to interact with job demands. Recent meta-analyses revealed differential effects of social and organizational resources. Studies of job resources in police officers predominantly included social resources and have rarely examined differential effects, interaction effects, and both negative and positive mental health outcomes. The present study provides a comprehensive test of job resources for the mental health of police officers: Main and interaction effects of social and organizational resources were tested on burnout symptoms and job satisfaction. Survey data were collected from 493 German police officers. Social (support, sense of community, leadership quality) and organizational resources (influence at work, possibilities for development, meaning of work), demands (quantitative, emotional, work privacy conflicts), burnout symptoms, and job satisfaction were assessed with an online questionnaire. Stepwise regression analyses and moderator analyses (PROCESS) were performed. Job resources contributed to the prediction of burnout symptoms and job satisfaction beyond job demands. Organizational resources explained substantial variance beyond social resources. Sense of community and possibilities for development were the most influential resources, and work privacy conflicts were the most influential demand. In addition, work privacy conflicts strengthened the association between sense of community and job satisfaction. The study confirms that social as well as organizational resources are protective for police officers' mental health. Sense of community and possibilities for development emerged as promising starting points for measures to prevent burnout and promote job satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to identify the determinants of burnout in police officers. We considered a wide range of psychosocial risk factors, individual variables that have been previously found to be associated with burnout in police officers (affective and cognitive empathy, self-care), and variables whose unique impact on burnout of police officers needs further clarification (organizational justice and organizational identification). The study was conducted in Portugal, and the sample was constituted by 573 members of the National Republican Guard (GNR—Guarda Nacional Republicana). The participants were invited to answer an online anonymous survey, which included previously validated measures of the following variables: burnout (exhaustion and disengagement), psychosocial risk factors, self-care, empathy (cognitive and affective), organizational justice, and organizational identification. Furthermore, we controlled for the potential impact of demographic variables (age, gender, years of professional experience, religiosity, political orientation, and income). Multiple regression analysis showed that when taken together, only a few of the variables associated with burnout had a unique impact on both exhaustion and disengagement: quantitative demands and affective empathy were burnout risk factors; meaningful work, organizational justice (distributive justice, procedural justice, and interactional justice), and organizational identification were burnout protective factors. Our results highlight the importance of developing theoretical models and planning interventions to prevent burnout in police officers, focusing mainly on the above-mentioned variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The profession of a police officer is associated with high levels of stress, which can have harmful consequences for officers' personal lives, the police organisation, and society. This systematic review aims to synthesise recent literature on the effectiveness of mindfulness-based intervention related to stress reduction (MBIs) in a sample of police officers. The search of relevant articles was applied in four databases (SpringerLink, Web of Science, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), and PubMed), using the following inclusion criteria: (1) study involved police officers; (2) study used (quasi)experimental research design; (3) mindfulness-based stress reduction intervention was applied as the main intervention; and (4) study presented pre- and post-intervention measures and quantitative results of stress. The systematic review of eight articles included in the analysis revealed that MBIs were effective in reducing police officers' stress and other stress-related outcomes (sleep problems, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), negative affect, burnout). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A significant lack of evidence regarding the effectiveness of psychological first aid (PFA) training of first responders to emergency settings has been reported. The aim of the present study was to assess the effectiveness of a PFA training program on the feeling of confidence on providing help in crisis, knowledge, attitudes, and skills of police officers. Fifty police officers were trained in PFA, using an adapted version of the World Health Organization's program, and they were compared to a control group of 53 police officers. A PFA questionnaire was used to compare the two groups, before and after the implementation of the PFA training. Results revealed significant improvementson confidence, knowledge, attitudes, and skills of trained police officers, in comparison to controls. Thus, the present results suggest that PFA training programs are effective and should be offered to police officers in order to enhance their capacity to provide PFA in emergency settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Police officers routinely face stressful and possibly traumatic events in their work which may result in them experiencing compassion fatigue. The aim of this study was to explore compassion fatigue experiences in police officers, along with the stressful factors that may lead to compassion fatigue and the coping strategies they use in combating compassion fatigue. The convenience sample of 41 police officers was recruited via social media focused on police work. Data were collected using an online battery of questionnaires with open-ended questions prompting them to share their experiences of compassion fatigue, stress factors and self-care strategies. The data were analysed using deductive (theoretical) thematic analysis. After identifying recurring statements, statements were coded using pre-existing individual codes, and each statement was categorized into the emerging domains, subdomains, categories and subcategories. The results described the stressful factors and experiences of compassion fatigue as well as coping strategies in the 7 domains described by Figley in Front Psychol 9:2793, 2002b: emotional, behavioural, personal relations, somatic, spiritual, cognitive and work performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stress can be understood as an imbalance between demands and resources (Hobfoll in Am Psychol 44:513–524, 1989). Among police officers, demands, which are widely documented in the literature, are thought to be numerous, as are post-traumatic stress disorders, whereas their resources are more rarely explored. Generally speaking, social support correlates with low level PTSD disorders and is a well-known moderator between exposure to traumatic events and subsequent disorders. Nevertheless, this moderating effect has been little studied in police officers and studies often fail to focus on strictly professional support and events. The aim of our study is therefore to verify the moderating role of professional social support between traumatic events and post-traumatic stress disorders in municipal police officers (N = 1312, of whom 739 described a traumatic event to which they had been exposed, on average 3.5 years previously). Similarly, we have successfully explored the predictive and moderating role of the meaning of work, known to be a key resource in this profession, and that of perceived recognition at work, both identified as predictors of psychological well-being at work. These results are discussed in terms of the preservation of resources and the value of supporting the meaning and recognition of work and social support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Police officers face a variety of occupational (e.g., job dissatisfaction) and operational (e.g., exposure to suffering) stressors because of their work, making them vulnerable to challenges with psychological well-being (Johnson et al. in J Manag Psycho 20(2):178–196, 2005). Social support is known to offset repercussions resulting from high stress (Hansson et al. in J Police Crim Psycho 32(2):128–137, 2017); however, limited research has documented use of social support experienced by police officers. Thus, the current study examined the nature, quality, and potential benefits of social support on officer psychological wellness, including its benefits beyond use of cognitive-emotion coping strategies. Participants included 88 Canadian police (73.9% male, Mage = 41.72, SD = 9.64) who completed measures of occupational stressors (OSI-R, Osipow and Spokane 1–15 1998), social support (OSI-R and author constructed), mental health symptoms (DSM-5 CC, APA 170(1)71–82 2013; PCL-5, Weathers et al. 2013), and cognitive-emotion coping strategies (CERQ, Garnefski et al. in J Youth Adolesc 32:401–408, 2001). Officers relied on a variety of supports in and outside of the workplace, but most frequently relied on intimate partners (85.9%) and coworkers (84.9%). Higher social support quality was significantly related to lower endorsement of depression, anxiety, anger, and PTSD symptoms. Hierarchical regression analyses demonstrated that social support predicted lower PTSD symptom severity over and above cognitive-emotion coping strategies. Results are discussed in terms of psychological wellness initiatives and psychoeducational opportunities for police organizations to improve access to, and quality of, social supports for employees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public safety personnel (PSP), including police officers, often work in high-stress environments that expose them to potentially psychologically traumatic events (PPTE). As a result, PSP are at a higher risk than most other occupational roles for the development of new or worsening mental health concerns, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive disorder, general or social anxiety disorder, and substance use disorders (Carleton et al., Canadian Journal of Psychiatry 63(1):54–64, 2018; Haugen et al., Journal of Psychiatric Research 94:218–229, 2017; Velazquez and Hernandez, Policing: An International Journal 42(4):711–724, 2019). Given these higher rates, research examining how to support the mental health of individuals in these occupations and how to improve our understanding of mental health help-seeking beliefs is critical. Consequently, the overall objective of the current study was to examine predictors of help-seeking attitudes among a group of police officers, while accounting for the effects of gender, years of employment, type of training experience, and mental health status (i.e. presence of mental illness, perceived resilience) on mental health-related help-seeking behaviours. A total of 112 police officers in a mid-sized law enforcement organization in Ontario, Canada, completed an online survey as part of a larger study exploring their mental health. Results indicate that years of experience and mental health training may improve attitudes toward seeking help for mental health. Our discussion offers suggestions for law enforcement organizations to consider to encourage their members to seek help for mental health difficulties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 1980s, a large body of research has proven the superiority of enhanced or modified cognitive interviews over the standard interviews used by police officers around the world. Although the cognitive interview is well grounded in theory and has proven practical value, this tool is not always used by police officers. The objective of the present study was to measure the various dimensions of Nielsen's 1993 acceptability model and thus understand what prevents police officers in France from using a modified cognitive interview. We recruited 23 police officers who had an average of ~ 20 years of police force experience, and trained them for at least two days in how to perform a modified cognitive interview. We measured the modified cognitive interview's social acceptability, compatibility, and usability at different time points during the training. Our results showed that (i) a modified cognitive interview is social acceptable, (ii) environmental conditions and time constraints appears to be crucial facilitating or blocking factors, and (ii) the usability of the modified cognitive interview's components is variable. These findings may be of value in improving police training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an ongoing debate whether police officers should be allowed to wear tattoos or piercings on visible parts of the body or not. One argument often brought forward against it is that such body modifications would cue negative evaluations of officers by citizens that would impede officers' fulfillment of their duties. Yet, empirical evidence for this claim is missing. The present research aims to close this gap by examining how citizens perceive police officers with tattoos and piercings. In an experiment, participants saw edited photographs of police officers with and without tattoos (study 1) or piercings (study 2). They rated each officer regarding communion, agency, likability, respect, and threat. We found that, as expected, police officers with tattoos and piercings were perceived as less trustworthy and less competent, were liked somewhat less, and triggered higher perceptions of threat. In addition, police officers with tattoos (but not with piercings) were perceived as less friendly and more assertive. Regarding respect, we found no differences between officers with and without body modifications. While our empirical results cannot answer the societal and political question whether police officers should be allowed to wear tattoos and piercings or not, experimental psychological research can contribute to the respective discussions by providing an empirical basis. Our findings further have important theoretical implications, as the opposing effects on competence and assertiveness underline the importance of distinguishing between these two facets of agency in research on social perception and judgment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With an increase in gender equality policies and gender balance targets within traditionally male professions, organisations such as the police service are experiencing changing demographics. How these shifts influence the construction of professional identity is unclear. Drawing on focus group data, this study aimed to explore identity construction of police officers across gender using a thematic analysis method. Two themes related to identity construction were found to be common to both male and female police officers: 'Working within a blue family' and 'Being a copper is a job for life'. However, the way in which these themes were articulated differed between male and female officers, with male officers experiencing more difficulty than female officers in terms of positioning their identity within the evolving police culture. The findings from this study have implications for gender policies in the workforce as they suggest that men may experience more difficulty than women in adjusting to a gender-diverse workforce, and that professional identity within traditionally male professions is more complex and nuanced than what was previously assumed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low subjective well-being and work ability constitute threats to employees' job performances across the world. Indices of low subjective well-being have been observed among police officers in Nigeria and have been linked to their occupational experiences. Managing enhanced subjective well-being is paramount for police officers' job effectiveness. The current study investigated the effectiveness of rational emotive occupational health coaching (REOHC) in enhancing subjective well-being of police officers in Enugu state, Nigeria. Participants (N = 151) included police officers with not less than 5-year working experience who were randomly assigned to intervention (N = 76) and nonintervention (N = 75) groups. Participants in the intervention group were exposed to 120-min REOHC program weekly for a period of 16 weeks. Subjective well-being scale (SWBS) and perceived work ability index (PWAI) were used to collect data at pre-test, post-test, and follow-up assessments. Data collected were analyzed using independent samples as well as paired sample t test statistics and repeated measure ANOVA. Results revealed that participants in the intervention group had significant improvement in their life satisfaction, affect balance, and flourishing scores at post-test and follow-up assessments compared with the pre-test. Participants in the nonintervention control group did not have a significant change in subjective well-being subscale scores across pre-test, post-test, and follow-up evaluations. The conclusion drawn was that REOHC can be effective in managing subjective well-being among police officers and employees who work under chronic stressful conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resilience, hardiness, and psychological capital are considered to be important capacities for police officers to cope with and adapt to challenging stressful and potentially traumatic situations. Despite their growing popularity, a systematic review assessing used concepts and instruments for these capacities and synthesizing the results of studies on the predictive values of resilience, hardiness, and psychological capital among police officers is absent. The aim of the present study is to fill this gap of scientific knowledge, and for this purpose, a systematic literature search was conducted using PsycInfo, Pubmed, and Web of Science. We identified 17 cross-sectional and 5 longitudinal studies. Results showed that resilience, hardiness, and psychological capital were studied mostly in relation to physical and mental health variables. No study focused on officers' professional functioning. In both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, associations with health variables were very weak to moderate, while cross-sectional studies mostly yielded stronger associations than longitudinal associations. In sum, we found no empirical support for the growing popularity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study compared male and female Israeli police officers (n = 242) and undergraduate students (n = 273) in their perception of myths about male and female rape and the association between these myths and social attitudes toward gender roles. The results indicated that men were more likely to subscribe to myths about male and female rape, and that police officers accept myths about female rape more than students of either gender. Analysis of the regression findings shows that gender role stereotypes significantly predict acceptance of rape myths among both men and women. The implications of these findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research investigated civilian implicit attitudes toward police. Previous research has solely used explicit measures (or examined police officers' implicit reactions to civilians). Two studies assessed the implicit activation of safety and fear when participants were primed with police using a Word Fragment Completion Task (e.g., Johnson and Lord 2010). In a college sample, police primes led to increased safety and decreased fear construct activation, whereas in an online sample, both safety and fear became more accessible. Overall, results indicated that a wide range of individual differences in implicit attitudes toward police exist, that implicit reactions to police officers might be distinct from explicit global evaluations, and that, despite the existence of negative police-civilian interactions, the appearance of police officers might still tend to activate safety-related thoughts. The findings prompt the need to further assess the underlying cognitive components of civilian attitudes toward police officers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With minimal research on mental health program efficacy in the law enforcement service, the aim of this study was to investigate the perceptions of experienced mental health program managers on the efficacy of mental health programs designed to address the stress and mental health issues faced by Law Enforcement Officers (LEOs). A further aim of the research was to investigate internal impediments (e.g., LEO culture and leadership attitudes) that affect the necessary openness and collaboration needed to develop accessible and effective programs. Through a qualitative approach via Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), the research addressed these aims via semi-structured interviews with five LEO program managers. Whereas the findings of this study are consistent with previous research on the impact of mental health stigmas and barriers to LEO program access, the research provided unique and rich, first-hand insights about the challenges program managers face in implementing and evaluating LEO mental health programs. Moreover, the findings of the current research and the framework of program evaluation employed in this study are suitable resources to improve the development, implementation, and efficacy of programs to address mental health issues and behavioral problems in the LEO profession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, it is argued that the psychological contract (PC) could provide rich insights into the understanding of employee and employer relations within the police and the stress and wellbeing of officers. Eighteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with active, full-time police officers and these were analysed using framework analysis. More than 100 base-units of meaning were identified which were categorised into six main themes namely 'Motivation', 'Mutual obligations', 'Stressors', 'Negative consequences', 'Mediators' and 'Positive impact of the job'. From the interviews, it was apparent that some officers are experiencing PC breach and that this was having a negative impact on their wellbeing. These findings are considered and avenues for improving the situation are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protective psychosocial factors may reduce the risk of stress-related illnesses in policing. We assessed the association between protective factors and depressive symptoms among 242 police officers. Participants were from the Buffalo Cardio-Metabolic Occupational Police Stress (BCOPS) Study (2004–2014). Coping, hardiness, personality traits, and social support were assessed at baseline. Depressive symptoms were measured at baseline and follow-up using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression (CES-D) scale. The relationship between protective factors and the rate of change in depressive symptoms was assessed using linear regression. Logistic regression evaluated associations between protective factors and new-onset depression. Of participants free of depression at baseline, 23 (10.7%) developed probable depression during the follow-up. Odds of new-onset depression increased with increasing neuroticism (adjusted odds ratio [ORADJ] = 1.22, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.11–1.35) and passive coping (ORADJ = 2.07, 95% CI, 1.06–4.03). Increasing agreeableness (ORADJ = 0.87, 95% CI, 0.78–0.96) and conscientiousness (ORADJ = 0.90, 95% CI, 0.84–0.98) were associated with decreased odds of new-onset depression. New-onset depression was not significantly associated with other coping subscales, hardiness, or social support. There were no significant associations between protective factors and change in depressive symptom scores. This study suggests certain personality characteristics and passive coping may be associated with increased odds of new-onset depression in police officers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the association between job characteristics, namely job demands and job resources, and mental health outcomes in terms of emotional exhaustion and well-being among police officers. Eight hundred forty-three German police officers participated in a cross-sectional online survey. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the validity of the dual process model of the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) framework in the context of police work. Job demands (verbal assaults by citizens, workload, and administrative stressors) predicted emotional exhaustion whereas job resources (team support, shared values, and perceived fairness) predicted well-being. Moreover, job resources were directly and negatively associated with emotional exhaustion. The findings confirm the capacity of job resources to simultaneously promote well-being and reduce emotional exhaustion. Work place interventions should thus not merely decrease job demands. To improve and protect police officers' well-being, it is advisable to promote job resources. A supportive and fair organizational climate based on shared values is required to foster mental health in the context of police work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Police officers are frequently confronted with various stressors that may affect their mental health. Psychological resilience may protect against these effects. For this purpose, a Mental Strength Training (MST) was developed by the Dutch Police Academy aimed at psychological resilience enhancement. The present three-wave study examined efficacy of this training using a quasi-experimental study design among police officers (NTotal = 305, nExperimenal = 138, nComparison = 167). Additionally, we compared between officers in the experimental and comparison group recently confronted with a potentially traumatic event (NTotal = 170, nExperimenal = 74, nComparison = 96). Questionnaires on resilience (Mental Toughness Questionnaire-48 (MTQ-48) and Resilience Scale-nl (RS-nl)), mental health disturbances (Symptoms CheckList 90-R (SCL-90-R) and Self-Rating Inventory for PTSD (SRIP)), were administered pre-training, and about 3 and 9 months post-training. Mixed-effects models showed training effects on Interpersonal Confidence. Similar analyses among officers with recent potentially traumatic event experience showed significant training effects for the RS-nl subscale of Acceptance of Self and Life, MTQ-48 total score, and the MTQ-48 subscale of Interpersonal Confidence. However, all effects yielded small effect sizes according to Cohen’s d, and are therefore of limited practical relevance. Officer’s appraisal of training benefits on resilience enhancement was largely negative. We found no indications that 4-day training substantially improved officer’s psychological resilience or mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As first responders who are frequently exposed to job-related trauma, police officers are at an elevated risk of adverse mental and physical health outcomes. Evidence-based approaches to stress reduction are sorely needed to address the complex variety of problems that police officers face. In this pilot study we examined the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of a mindfulness-based intervention designed to address police officer stress. A total of 43 police officers completed an 8-week Mindfulness-Based Resilience Training (MBRT) program, which was designed to improve mindfulness, resilience, stress, health outcomes, and emotional functioning. Using multilevel models we found significant improvement in self-reported mindfulness, resilience, police and perceived stress, burnout, emotional intelligence, difficulties with emotion regulation, mental health, physical health, anger, fatigue, and sleep disturbance. Although there were no significant pre-to-post-MBRT changes in cortisol awakening response (CAR), while controlling for pre-MBRT increase area under the curve (AUC), change in mental health was a significant predictor of post-AUC. Implications of these findings and areas for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined lay persons' and police officers' abilities to detect lying in second-language speakers. Participants ( N = 121) viewed targets who were lying or telling the truth about an event in either their first or second languages. Overall, participants were better able to detect deception in native-language speakers than second-language speakers. In addition, they tended to believe that native-language speakers were telling the truth. However, contrary to our hypotheses, expertise did not affect lie detection performance. Implications will be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Confirmatory factor analysis was employed to compare two alternative models of Ajzen's (Organ Behav Hum Decis Process 50:179-211, ) Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). The efficacy of the TPB to predict intentions to participate in counseling among a sample (N = 259) of Irish police officers was investigated using structural equation modelling and based upon responses to a fictitious scenario. The police profession is a highly stressful occupation with many officers suffering from a variety of stress related psychological maladies that could be alleviated with effective psychotherapy. Understanding police officers intentions to participate in psychological counseling is an important endeavour. Results indicated that a modified version of the TPB in which the Perceived Behavioral Control factor was represented by two distinct latent control factors demonstrated superior model fit compared to Ajzen's original model. Structural equation modelling results indicated that this modified version of the TPB was an effective model in the prediction of counseling seeking intentions explaining 92.6 % of variance in behavioural intentions. Self-efficacy (internal control) was found to be most strongly associated with intentions. Theoretical implications and future research potentials are discussed in light of current findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study contributes to what is known about police officers' attitudes toward rape. A survey was administered to 891 sworn police officers in two states in the southeastern United States. The surveys were designed to assess police officers' acceptance of rape myths. It was hypothesized that police officers would be accepting of rape myths, which are inherently misogynistic. Attitudes toward rape were expected to vary according to educational attainment and experience with rape investigations, such that higher levels of education and more experience with rape investigations would lead to the rejection of rape myths. There was a significant difference in the acceptance of rape myths with varying levels of educational attainment and experience with rape investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]