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Considering the Efficacy of Stress Management Education on Small-Town and Rural Police

NCJ Number
236297
Journal
Applied Psychology in Criminal Justice Volume: 5 Issue: 1 Dated: May 2009 Pages: 1-25
Author(s)
Willard M. Oliver; Cecil Meier
Date Published
2009
Length
25 pages
Annotation
This study examined the impact of stress management training for small-town and rural police departments.
Abstract
The study found that institutional-sponsored stress management training provided to small-town and rural police offices was effective at helping them manage their stress levels, and that this type of training was the most common method used by police departments. The findings also indicate that the benefits of this type of training appear to diminish over time, with the effects beginning to decrease after 12 months and rising by the 16 to 18 month mark. This study examined the impact of institutional-sponsored stress management training for small-town and rural police departments in West Virginia. Data for the study were obtained from a study that developed and delivered training to police agencies in West Virginia serving populations under 50,000. Officers who participated in the training between August 1998 and May 2002 completed a survey to assess the effectiveness of the program. The survey gathered information on whether the training had any effect on levels of officer anxiety, self-reported levels of stress, and behavioral changes with those factors associated with high officer stress. The findings support the study's hypothesis that stress management training would reduce officer anxiety, perceived levels of stress, and stress manifested behaviors. The findings also indicate that continued training is required to maintain the level of benefit derived from the initial training sessions. Study limitations are discussed. Tables and references