Effects of Stress: 9-1-1 Call-takers and Police Dispatchers

• In Event: 477 - Section on Crime, Law, and Deviance Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 19. Procedures and Justice 2

Abstract

Exposure to long-term job-related stress among police officers has an overall negative effect on health leading to the manifestation of several chronic diseases (Pagon, Spector, Cooper, & Lobnikar, 2011; Briggs, Jihong, Wilson, & Ling, 2008). Arguably civilian 9-1-1 call-takers and dispatchers are exposed to similar psychological, physiological and emotional stressors at work and may suffer the same long term exposure as police officers (Pierce & Lilly, 2012), yet they are not afforded enhanced health care benefits as their sworn counterparts (Doerner, 1987; Miller, 1995; Sewell, 2006). The purpose of this research is to address the significant gap in literature about 9-1-1 call-takers and dispatchers. The following hypotheses are explored: (1) Call-takers/dispatchers will report stress levels similar to those in other high-stress occupations. (2) As work-life balance increases, self-reported stress will decline, (3) The more call-takers/dispatchers perceive individual and institutional fairness at work, the less they will report stress, (4) Call-takers/dispatchers reporting higher stress levels will report more adverse psychological and physiological outcomes, and (5) Call-takers/dispatchers with lower stress levels will report a higher satisfaction with life. An electronic survey was conducted among 90 civilian call-takers and dispatchers in a large western city. The total number of respondents is 89. Preliminary results indicate that stress levels are not abnormally high, and the most important factor causing perceived stress work/life balance. Stress causes adverse outcomes and lowers satisfaction with life.

Authors

• James Daniel Lee, San Jose State University

• Turner Kim, San Jose State University