Examining Stress Levels of DSP Enforcement Personnel and Intervention Techniques, Phase II Final research rept. (Mar 03-Dec 04)

摘要

Phase I Wisconsin Division of State Patrol Law Enforcement Stress Study in 2001 indicated that DSP sworn personnel, like other law enforcement personnel throughout the country, experience high levels of organizational and critical incident stress. This Phase II study follows up on these findings by evaluating the effectiveness of several training approaches as they relate to the reduction of sworn officer stress. The goal was to find or develop a program that addressed officer stress and evaluate it for its effectiveness. To meet the studys objectives, a day-long video-based training based on the work of Dr. Kevin Gilmartin was provided to groups of sworn officers over a thirteen-week period. A pre-test at the beginning of the training provided a behavior baseline, and a post-test at six weeks and three months after the training were designed to gauge the effectiveness of the intervention at prompting behavioral changes. The researchers found that the officers were very receptive to the emotional survival training and interested in making changes to improve their satisfaction across the range of life areas. However, the low return rate on the post-test questionnaires made it impossible to determine if there had been any behavioral changes as a result of the training. Through education and increased contact with Wisconsin Department of Transportation Employee Assistance Program personnel, the researcher anticipates that more sworn personnel will now recognize early warning signs of unhealthy stress levels and might possibly be more willing to seek the help that is available to them. In an effort to continue to meet the unique needs of this high-risk group in the future, the researcher also solicited input from sworn personnel to more clearly understand what stress management resources and services might be most beneficial and most frequently utilized by sworn employees and family members.