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Relationship Between Social Support and Occupational Stress Among Police Officers

NCJ Number
102576
Journal
Journal of Police Science and Administration Volume: 14 Issue: 3 Dated: (September 1986) Pages: 178-186
Author(s)
F A Graf
Date Published
1986
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This study examined the relationship between police officers' perceived social support and their perceived job stress.
Abstract
The Sarason et al, (1983) Social Support Questionnaire and the Cohen et al. Perceived Stress Scale were administered to all 105 police officers serving on Southern Vancouver Island in British Columbia. Seventy-seven of the mailed questionnaires were returned. Data were separated according to the perceived occupational stress scale and the four components of the perceived social support scale: number of supports at work, number of supports outside of work, satisfaction with supports at work, and satisfaction with supports outside of work. The total number of support persons available and overall satisfaction scores were obtained by summing the partitioned scores and dividing by two. Each of these sums was correlated with the perceived stress score. This analysis found a significant relationship between number of social supports, satisfaction with supports, and occupational stress. Although the strength of these relationships is moderate, the findings suggest that officers who identify greater numbers of support persons also perceive their occupation as less stressful. There is a strong correlation between the number of social supports at work and the satisfaction with that support. 4 tables and 28 references.

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