In addition to the questionnaire, the spouses were asked to complete the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, a 14-item scale recognized as a valid and reliable measure of anxiety and depression in non-psychiatric samples. Of the 464 questionnaires mailed, 409 were returned, for a response rate of 88 percent. The issues addressed in the study were the perceived stress level of police officers, the effect of officers' stress on relationships, the impact of officers' stress on spouses' health, the effects of aspects of police work, spouses' mental health, and police officers' coping methods off duty. The results of the study suggest that police work has an adverse impact on police families, particularly in terms of spouses' social life. The primary negative factors are long hours, shiftwork, and canceled leave. Dangerous duties and working with the opposite sex did not usually have an injurious effect on spouses. The methods used by the officers to cope with work-induced stress may produce additional difficulties for their spouses and families. 5 tables and 27 references