Sense of Coherence and Stress-Coping Strategies in Officers of Different Police Force Divisions

Abstract

The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between the sense of coherence and stress-coping strategies preferred by the offi cers of diff erent police force divisions. Sense of coherence was examined using Antonovsky’s life orientation questionnaire (SOC-29), while stress-coping capabilities were examined by the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS) by N.S. Endler and J.D.A. Parker. A total of 94 male police offi cers serving in diff erent force divisions, i.e. prevention police, traffi c police and criminal police, were studied. Policemen with a higher sense of coherence tend to choose problem-focused stresscoping strategies more often. Diff erences in the sense of coherence and stress-coping strategies were demonstrated between the offi cers of diff erent police forces. The obtained data confi rm the results presented in the literature of the subject suggesting that individuals with a high sense of coherence prefer the problem-focused stress-coping strategy, while individuals with a low sense of coherence tend to choose emotion-focused and avoidance-focused strategies. 1. High sense of coherence is positively correlated to the problem-focused strategy of stress management and negatively related with the emotion-focused and avoidancefocused strategies of stress management. 2. Offi cers serving in diff erent police forces tend to present diff erent levels of the sense of coherence. Prevention police offi cers are characterized by the highest sense of coherence as compared to traffi c police offi cers and criminal police offi cers.