Risk factors for stress among police officers: A systematic literature review

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Stress is common among police personnel leading to several negative consequences. OBJECTIVE: We performed a systematic literature review to identify risk factors for stress among police officers. METHODS: We searched PubMed and Scopus electronic databases through to July 2018 and we conducted this review according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. The Newcastle-Ottawa scale was used for studies quality assessment. RESULTS: After selection, 29 cross-sectional studies met the inclusion criteria and included in the review. The average quality of studies was low since no study was rated as having low risk of bias, three studies (10.3%) as moderate risk and 26 studies (89.7%) were rated as having high risk of bias. Stress risk factors were summarized in the following categories: demographic characteristics; job characteristics; lifestyle factors; negative coping strategies and negative personality traits. CONCLUSIONS: Identification of stress risk factors is the first step to create and adopt the appropriate interventions to decrease stress among police personnel. The early identification of police officers at higher risk and the appropriate screening for mental health disorders is crucial to prevent disease and promote quality of life.