Adverse Impacts of Organizational Stress on Officer Health and Wellness: Causes, Correlates, and Mitigation

The applicant proposes to study the impact of organizational stressors among police and correctional officers employed in sheriff offices. The research design will encompass officer self-report data, sleep and activity logs, ambulatory biomarkers, and administrative data. The self-report data will use the Police Stress Questionnaire (measuring organizational stressors) and the Perceived Stress Scale. The surveys will be administered online via Qualtrics.
The ambulatory data will be collected via distributed wearable devised to 120 officers (60 law enforcement and 60 sheriff deputies). The wearable devises will capture heart rate variability (HRV), resting heart rate, physical activity, and sleep quality. The agencies will also submit administrative data on hours worked, assignments, absences, arrests, disciplinary action, vehicular crashes, and use of force complaints.
The research team will use structural equation modeling to assess the impact of organizational stressors on officer stress, wellness, and job performance. Note: This project contains a research and/or development component, as defined in applicable law, and complies with Part 200 Uniform Requirements - 2 CFR 200.210(a)(14). CA/NCF