Journal of Alcoholism & Drug Dependence
Open Access

Abstract

Sources, Consequences and Methods of Coping with Stress in Police Officers

Pastwa-Wojciechowska B and Piotrowski A

The issues of occupational stress are invariably present in social services. The police officer's job is among the occupations particularly susceptible to the consequences of stress in the workplace. Because of the strain arising from the work overload, the style of functioning of the organisation, as well as specific stressful and traumatic experiences, police officers are exposed to cumulative occupational stress resulting in reduced quality of life and professional efficiency and deterioration of their social relations. This article presents the sources of stress in the police, the consequences of occupational stress and methods of coping with stress, among which alcohol abuse is a problem that still needs to be solved. For the first time statistical data concerning alcohol consumption among polish police officers was presented.