Examining the Effects of Critical Incident Exposure on Officers’ Stress Levels and Retention Intentions

• In Event: Enhancing the Capacity of Policing Mental Health Problems Through Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Training

Abstract

As the first responders, law enforcement officers are often exposed to critical incidents or distressing situations at work and are always required to prepare for potential dangerousness or high-risk situations in the line of duty. They are also at heightened risk of developing mental health issues. The accumulation of work-induced stressors such as primary traumatic incidents or exposure to citizens’ trauma/victimization over time may have detrimental effects on officers’ wellbeing. This study examines how cumulative exposure to critical incidents affects officers’ perceived stress at work and whether perceived stress, in turn, affects turnover intention. We analyze responses from 168 officer surveys in suburban/rural areas in Virginia. Overall, we found that the cumulative exposure is an important risk factor contributing to heightened stress levels at work and has a negative impact on officers’ turnover intention.

Authors

• Sue-Ming Yang, George Mason University

• Yi-Fang Lu, University of Iowa

• Kristen Fite, George Mason University

• Yasemin Irvin-Erickson, George Mason University