DUTY-RELATED STRESSORS AND PTSD SYMPTOMS IN SUBURBAN POLICE OFFICERS

This study examined the effects of duty-related stress on police offic ers. Using a sample of 100 suburban police officers, an anonymous ques tionnaire requested demographic information and included a measure of duty-related stressors, SCL-90-R, the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder sc ale of the Impact of Events Scale Revised, and a locus of control scal e. Also assessed was whether Critical Incident Stress Debriefing was e xperienced. The results showed significant correlations between scores on duty-related stress, somatization, and symptoms of PTSD. 13% of th e sample met the DSM-IV (1994) diagnostic criteria for PTSD. Results o f the regression analysis showed the best predictors for the diagnosis of PTSD were associated with the factor of Exposure to Death and Life Threat, which corresponds to the DSM-TV AI criteria. Finally, 63% of the respondents stated that a critical incident debriefing would be be neficial following an extremely stressful event related to duty.