POLICE WORK HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS ONE OF A NUMBER OF HIGHLY STRESSFUL AND ANXIETY-PRODUCING OCCUPATIONS. OCCUPATIONAL STRESS IS THOUGHT TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH A VARIETY OF PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS WHICH CAN AFFECT THE POLICE OFFICER'S PRODUCTIVITY, COWORKERS, AND FAMILY. A FAILURE TO REDUCE STRESS-RELATED ANXIETY PRODUCES INTERNAL CONFLICTS WHICH MAY RESULT IN FEELINGS OF GUILT, ANGER, SUSPICIOUSNESS, DEPRESSION, OR AGGRESSION. RESEARCHERS HAVE FOUND A NUMBER OF SPECIFIC STRESS REACTIONS IN STUDIES OF POLICE OFFICERS. AS A RESULT OF THE EXTREMELY DEMANDING NATURE OF POLICE WORK AND RIGID ATTITUDES TOWARD APPROPRIATE MALE REACTIONS, MANY POLICE OFFICERS WILL REPRESS THEIR EMOTIONS. IN ADDITION, THE BASIC PARAMILITARY STRUCTURE OF THE POLICE AGENCY AND THE PUBLIC OFTEN RESULT IN A FRUSTRATION AND DISPLACEMENT OF ANGER. NEGATIVE ATTITUDES TOWARD THE POLICE HELD BY THE PUBLIC AND OFTEN ENCOURAGED BY THE MEDIA MAY CAUSE SOCIAL ISOLATION OF BOTH THE OFFICER AND HIS FAMILY. FINALLY, POLICE OFFICERS ARE OFTEN TROUBLED BY THEIR PERSONAL FEELINGS AND FEARS WHICH, FOR VARIOUS REASONS, THEY ARE UNABLE TO DISCUSS WITH THEIR FAMILIES OR COWORKERS. THIS INABILITY TO OPENLY EXPRESS FEARS MAY RESULT IN ADDITIONAL STRESS OR MAY BE MISDIRECTED IN A DESTRUCTIVE MANNER. INDICATORS OF STRESS MAY BE RAPID MOOD CHANGES, OVERHOSTILITY, EXTREME NERVOUSNESS OR DEFENSIVENESS, FREQUENT ILLNESS, SLEEP DISTURBANCES OR DEPRESSION, AND DECREASED PRODUCTIVITY. SUGGESTIONS FOR REDUCING STRESS INCLUDE MORE EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE PREEMPLOYMENT SCREENING, TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR POLICE PERSONNEL AND THEIR SPOUSES ON RECOGNIZING AND REDUCING STRESS, GROUP DISCUSSIONS WHICH ALLOW THE VENTILATION OF FEELINGS, AVAILABILITY OF PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES TO EMPLOYEES AND THEIR FAMILIES, MORE SUPPORTIVE ATTITUDES BY POLICE EXECUTIVES TOWARD THE STRESS-RELATED PROBLEMS OF THEIR SUBORDINATES, ALCOHOLIC REHABILITATION, AND PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY INSURANCE FOR OFFICERS. INDIVIDUAL STRESS-REDUCTION EFFORTS MAY INCLUDE PROPER NUTRITION, EXERCISES, INCREASED UNDERSTANDING OF SELF AND OTHERS AND INCREASED SELF-ESTEEM AND SELF-CONFIDENCE. A POSITIVE ATTITUDE ON THE PART OF POLICE ADMINISTRATORS TOWARD MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AND REALISTIC UNDERSTANDING AND SUPPORTIVE ATTITUDES AND EXPECTATIONS ABOUT THE NATURE OF POLICE WORK AND THE NEEDS OF THE PERSONNEL IS MOST IMPORTANT. THE FEMALE OFFICER MAY EXPERIENCE GREATER STRESS THAN HER MALE COUNTERPARTS BECAUSE OF HOSTILE OR STEREOTYPICAL MALE ATTITUDES. A DISCUSSION GUIDE OUTLINING LEGAL RAMIFICATIONS OF POLICE STRESS WHICH PERTAIN TO CIVIL LIABILITY AND WORKERS' COMPENSATION AND DELINEATING POSITIVE EFFECTS OF PARTICIPATORY DECISIONMAKING ON WORK ATTITUDES AND JOB PERFORMANCE IS ALSO INCLUDED. (JAP)