Coping e stress em agentes da polícia de segurança pública

Abstract

Police officers are often exposed to unpredictable and potentially traumatic situations, which can affect their mental health. Considering the possible impact of continuous exposure to stressors, the present study aimed to characterize stress in 41 participants from the Public Security Police. It was intended to understand whether seniority and vulnerability to stress were associated with a greater propensity to adopt maladaptive coping as well as greater perceived stress. To this end, a correlational design was applied, and self-report instruments were used to assess vulnerability (Stress Vulnerability Questionnaire 23-QVS), perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale PSS-10) and coping styles (Brief COPE). Results showed a negative correlation between seniority in service and a lower tendency to adopt adaptive coping. However, the relationship between seniority and perceived stress was not detected. It was also observed that the greater the reported vulnerability, the greater the propensity to adopt a maladaptive coping style, as well as the greater the level of perceived stress. It is intended that these results can boost the increase in mental health literacy in this context, through the creation of programs aimed at improving the well-being and performance of these professionals.

Date of Award	13 Jul 2022
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Patrícia Oliveira-Silva (Supervisor) & Diana Cristina Rodrigues Pereira (Co-Supervisor)