Die verband tussen fortigene faktore en psigologiese welstand by SAPD-lede in hoërisiko-eenhede

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Date
2002-11
Authors
Taylor, Henry William
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Publisher
University of the Free State
Abstract
English: The work of police officials is universally regarded as highly stressful. Police officials are often described as secondary victims because of their daily exposure to critical incident stressors. The unsuccessful coping with these stressors have a negative impact and effect, not only on the individual police official, but also on his family, the SAPS as an organisation, and the community at large. In spite of this some police officials manage to successfully handle their stressful work environment and maintain psychological well-being. Constructs from the positive psychological and psychofortological metha-perspectives were used as the theoretical framework for this research study. Psychological well-being is enhanced through the existence of psychological strengths from within the individual as well as resources from the environment. The objective of this research study was to ascertain the relationship between different internal dispositional factors as well as external contextual factors and the psychological well-being of police officials in high-risk units. The contribution of fortigenic factors like personal competence, self appraisal, appraisal of family support, appraisal of general social support, sense of coherence, copingstrategies as well as a few demographic variables, were included in the research. The group investigated consisted of 90 police officials in the Free State Province, between the ages of 20 and 51 years with 6V2 years of experience in a high-risk unit. Most of the respondents where male (86.67%); married (75.56%) and of the rank of inspector (77.33%). In addition to a biographical questionnaire, which provided information regarding gender, home language, and marital status, five additional questionnaires were used in this study to determine the relationship between fortigenic factors and the psychological well-being of the research group. Psychological wellbeing was measured with The Satisfaction of Life Scale. The previously mentioned fortigenic variables were measured with the Personal Competence Scale, the Fortitude Questionnaire, the Sense of Coherence Scale, and the COPE Questionnaire. Pearson's correlations were used to determine the relationship between variables. Hierarchical regression analysis was conducted to determine the proportion of variance of satisfaction with life that is explained by the predictor variables. The results indicated significant positive relationships between personal competence, self appraisal, appraisal of family support, appraisal of general social support as well as sense of coherence and psychological well-being (satisfaction of life) of police officials. The predictor variables together accounted for nearly 41% of the variance in psychological well-being of the research group. The results of the regression analysis showed that a practically significant correlation of medium effect size exists between personal competence and psychological well-being, while practically significant correlations of small effect size were found between marital status, appraisal of general social support as well as problem-focussed coping and psychological well-being. Thus these variables serve as significant predictors of psychological well-being of police officials in high-risk units. Based on the results, it was recommended that these fortigenic factors be included in the selection of members for high-risk units. These findings can also be used in the development and implementation of intervention programmes within the SAPS.
Afrikaans: Die werk van polisiebeamptes word universeel as baie stresvol beskou. Polisiebeamptes word dikwels beskryf as sekondêre slagoffers weens hulle daaglikse blootstelling aan kritiese insident stressore. Die onsuksesvolle coping met hierdie stressore het 'n negatiewe impak en effek, nie slegs op die individuele polisiebeampte nie, maar ook op sy gesin, die SAPD as organisasie en die breër gemeenskap. Ten spyte hiervan slaag sekere polisiebeamptes daarin om hierdie stresvolle werksomstandighede suksesvol te hanteer en psigologiese welstand te handhaaf. Konstrukte vanuit die positiewe sielkundige en psigofortologiese metaperspektiewe, is gebruik as teoretiese raamwerk vir hierdie studie. Psigologiese welstand word bevorder deur die voorkoms van psigologiese sterktes binne die individu asook eksterne hulpbronne vanuit die omgewing. Die doelstelling van hierdie navorsingstudie was om ondersoek in te stel na die verband tussen verskillende interne disposisionele faktore sowel as eksterne kontekstuele faktore en die psigologiese welstand van polisiebeamptes in hoërisiko-eenhede. Die bydrae van fortigene faktore soos persoonlike bevoegdheid, selfbeoordeling, beoordeling van gesinsondersteuning, beoordeling van algemene sosiale ondersteuning, koherensiesin, copingstrategieë asook enkele demografiese veranderlikes, is by die ondersoek ingesluit. Die ondersoekgroep het bestaan uit 90 polisiebeamptes in die Vrystaat Provinsie, met ouderdomme wat wissel tussen 20 en 51 jaar met ongeveer 6 1/2 jaar ervaring in 'n hoërisiko-eenheid. Meeste van die respondente was manlik (86.67%),getroud (75.56%) en met die rang van inspekteur (73.33%). Bykomend tot 'n biografiese vraelys wat inligting rakende geslag, huistaal en huwelikstatus verskaf het, is vyf addisionele vraelyste in hierdie studie gebruik om die verband tussen fortigene faktore en die psigologiese welstand van die ondersoekgroep te bepaal. Psigologiese welstand is gemeet met die Lewenstevredenheidskaal. Die reeds genoemde fortigene veranderlikes is gemeet met die Persoonlikebevoegdheid-skaal, die Fortaliteitsvraelys, Koherensiesinvraelys en die COPE-Vraelys. Pearson se korrelasies is gebruik om die verband tussen die veranderlikes te bepaal. Hiërargiese regressie-ontledings is uitgevoer om die proporsie van die variansie in lewenstevredenheid wat deur die voorspellerveranderlikes verklaar word, te bepaal. In die resultate is betekenisvolle positiewe verbande aangetoon tussen persoonlike bevoegdheid, selfbeoordeling, beoordeling van gesinsondersteuning, beoordeling van algemene sosiale ondersteuning asook koherensiesin en die psigologiese welstand (lewenstevredenheid) van polisiebeamptes. Die voorspellerveranderlikes het gesamentlik ongeveer 41% van die variansie in psigologiese welstand by die ondersoekgroep verklaar. Die resultate van die regressie-ontledings het 'n prakties betekenisvolle korrelasie van medium effekgrootte tussen persoonlike bevoegdheid en psigologiese welstand getoon, terwyl prakties betekenisvolle korrelasies van klein effekgrootte gevind is tussen huwelikstatus, beoordeling van algemene sosiale ondersteuning asook probleem-gefokusde coping en psigologiese welstand. Hierdie veranderlikes dien dus as beduidende voorspellers van psigologiese welstand by polisiebeamptes in hoërisiko-eenhede. Op grond van die resultate is die aanbeveling gemaak dat hierdie fortigene faktore ingesluitword in die keuring van lede vir hoërisikoeenhede. Hierdie bevindinge kan ook gebruik word in die ontwikkeling en implementering van intervensieprogramme binne die SAPD.
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Keywords
Positive psychology, Salutogenesis, Fortigenesis, Psychofortology, Psychological well-being, Satisfaction with life, Coping, Coping resources, South African Police Service (SAPS), Police -- Mental health, Police -- Job stress, Dissertation (M.Sc. (Psychology (Counseling Psychology))--University of the Free State, 2002
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