Personality and Coping as a risk factor: Trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress as a stress disorder in the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department – South Africa
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Abstract:
The Metro
Police Services has a reputation for being resilient despite the amount of
trauma they are exposed to. Research has shown that this occupation is one of
the most stressful around the world. However, research surrounding the Metro
Police Services suggests that police work is one of society’s most stressful
occupations. The way in which individuals respond to such traumatisation’s’ is dependent
on numerous factors, two being personality and coping. In so far, this study
investigated three main areas around metro police. In order to understand their
responses to trauma: whether personality factors were related to post-traumatic
stress symptomatology (PTSS) in the Metro Police population; whether coping
moderated the relationship between personality factors and PTSS; whether a
personality factor predict coping style.
A
quantitative analysis was conducted among a sample of 36 officers in the Ekurhuleni
area of South Africa. This study found that the relationship between
Neuroticism and PTSS is mediated by coping, specifically Emotion-Focused and
Dysfunctional Coping style. A relationship between Conscientiousness and PTSS
showed to be prevalent, however, this is not due to the mediation effect of
coping. Furthermore, Neuroticism and Extraversion showed to predict coping
style. Specially, Neuroticism showed to affect EFC and DC and Extraversion
showed to affect EFC. The descriptive statistics showed that this sample of
Metro Police is suffering from PTSD. Implications of these findings are
discussed and directions for future research are explored.
Keywords: Personality, Coping, Trauma, Metro Police,
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Risk factors.
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