Contemporary police stress: The impact of the evolving socio-political context

Abstract

We interviewed representatives from 110 law enforcement agencies to examine how occupational stressors have changed in recent years. The most frequently cited stressors involved day-to-day enforcement activities that put officers in potentially dangerous situations, the administrative burden and shift work associated with the profession, family and relationship challenges that accompany the job, and the state of police community relations and negative portrayal of the police by the media. Respondents reported that officers experience increased fear and stress due to recent changes in the socio-political environment, which is characterized by strained police-community relations, increased scrutiny associated with the 24-hr news cycle, and the ubiquity of personal recording devices and sharing videos on social media. However, generational shifts in the workforce and efforts to destigmatize mental health care has also changed the landscape of police stress for the better.