The Mediating Role of Anger Rumination in the Relationship between Job Stress and Problem Drinking among Community-Oriented Police Officers

Abstract

Background: This study investigated the mediating effect of anger rumination in the relationship between job stress and problem drinking among community-oriented police officers.Methods: The study participants were 107 community-oriented police officers working in local police stations and substations in the Seoul-Gyeonggi area. Participants completed the Police Job Stress Scale, Anger Rumination Scale (K-ARS), and Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT). Data was collected from September to October 2022, and the mediation analysis was performed using SPSS PROCESS Macro model 4.Results: Analysis showed that anger rumination fully mediates the relationship between job stress and problem drinking among community-oriented police officers.Conclusions: This study emphasizes the importance of interventions or treatments that address both job stress and anger rumination for community-oriented police officers with alcohol-related problems. Such interventions can contribute to preventing and managing problem drinking that threatens the well-being of individual police officers and the police organization.