Emotional Labor and Burnout: A Study with the Military Police

Abstract

The aim of this research was to investigate the predictive role of emotional labor in the incidence of police officers’ burnout. The sample consisted of 525 police officers, divided in 408 men and 117 women. Three scales adapted to the Portuguese were used in the study: the Emotional Labor Scale, the Emotional Work Requirements Scale and the emotional exhaustion’s subscale of the Maslach Burnout Inventory for Human Service Survey. Multiple regression analyzes were performed to test the predictive power of the dimensions of emotional labor and sociodemographic variables on burnout. The results indicate that all emotional labor dimensions were predictive of burnout: variety and intensity of emotions, frequency of interaction with suspects and criminals, deep and surface acting, and the perceived need to express positive emotions as part of the police work. Have completed high school, be a Cabo, and acting on external service also were predictors of burnout. Evidence of the emotional labor and post impact on the incidence of burnout underlines the importance of giving special attention to the health and development of socio-emotional skills of military police.