Organizational levers supporting police officers’ psychological health in the workplace after exposure to a potentially psychologically traumatic event

One in two police officers report having experienced a potentially psychologically traumatic event (PPTE) in the course of their career that has had an impact on their professional or personal life. In addition, daily exposure to PPTEs results in major adverse effects that affect all aspects of health: psychological, emotional, and physical. However, it is not necessarily PPTEs as such that cause psychological distress at work; rather, the determining factor seems to be the organization’s response to police officers’ exposure to PPTEs. The purpose of this study is therefore to identify the organizational factors that explain psychological health at work for police officers who have experienced a PPTE in the line of duty. The results show that the quality of relationships with the superior and colleagues, the availability of support such as advice, job demand, and job decision latitude are factors that partially explain the psychological distress that police officers experience at work after a PPTE [R2 = .38, p<.05; F(1,451) = 55.99, p<.001]. Conversely, quality relationships with co-workers, job demand, and job decision latitude partially account for the workplace psychological well-being experienced by officers after a PPTE [R2=.42, p<.05; F(1,457) = 109.55, p<.001]. This study highlights the importance for police organizations to promote good relationships between police officers and, above all, to encourage managers to invest in their relational skills and counseling-type social support. The study limitations and new avenues for research are also discussed.

Impact of Job Insecurity on Psychological Well- and Ill-Being among High Performance Coaches

Background: The evaluative nature of high performance (HP) sport fosters performance expectations that can be associated with harsh scrutiny, criticism, and job insecurity. In this context, (HP) sport is described as a highly competitive, complex, and turbulent work environment. The aim of this longitudinal, quantitative study was to explore whether HP coaches’ perceptions of job insecurity and job value incongruence in relation to work would predict their psychological well- and ill-being over time. Methods: HP coaches (n = 299) responded to an electronic questionnaire at the start, middle, and end of a competitive season, designed to measure the following: job insecurity, values, psychological well-being (vitality and satisfaction with work), and psychological ill-being (exhaustion and cynicism). Structural equation model analyses were conducted using Mplus. Results: Experiencing higher levels of job insecurity during the middle of the season significantly predicted an increase in coaches’ psychological ill-being, and a decrease in their psychological well-being at the end of the season. However, value incongruence did not have a significant longitudinal impact. Conclusions: These findings cumulatively indicate that coaches’ perceptions of job insecurity matter to their psychological health at work. Consequently, it is recommended that coaches and organizations acknowledge and discuss how to handle job security within the HP sport context.

Relationships Between Managerial and Organizational Practices, Psychological Health at Work, and Quality of Care in Pediatric Oncology

PURPOSE: Psychological health at work for care providers is an important issue, because they are directly involved in quality of patient care. Managerial and organizational determinants have been found to be indicators of psychological health at work. The main objective of this study was to explore the relationships between the psychological health at work of pediatric oncology care workers with managerial and organizational determinants and with quality of care. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed regression analysis between psychological health at work (quality of work life [QWL], job satisfaction, and so on), managerial determinants (transformational leadership, perceived autonomy support), organizational determinants (organizational support, organizational justice, and participatory approach), and perceived quality of care. RESULTS: Participants were 510 health care professionals working in French pediatric oncology centers. No significant differences in the psychological health at work of the participants were found based on age, sex, length of employment, or professional discipline. In simple regression, significant associations were found between psychological health at work with all managerial and organizational determinants. In multiple regression, a significant link was found between QWL and perceived organizational support (β = .21; P < .001), organizational justice (β = .20, P < .001), and overall participatory approach (β = .10; P < .02). Job satisfaction was also related to perceived organizational support (β = .16; P < .01). Finally, perceived quality of care was linked to QWL (β = .15; P < .01) and job satisfaction (β = .30; P < .001). CONCLUSION: These results emphasize the importance of the role of managers and the organization in psychological health at work of health care providers and also in the quality of patient care