The relationship between post-traumatic stress symptoms severity, coping style, perceived social support, extent of service experience, age, and gender within the Western Cape police service

• Main Author: Jones, Russell
• Other Authors: Kagee, S. A.
• Format: Others
• Language: en_ZA
• Published: Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University 2012
• Subjects: South African Police Service > Officials and employees > Psychology; Post-traumatic stress disorder > South Africa > Western Cape; Police > Job stress > South Africa > Western Cape; Dissertations > Psychology
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/50179

Thesis (MA) -- University of Stellenbosch, 2004. === ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The effects that a traumatic event can have on an individual and the high crime rate in South Africa (SA) were grounds for this two-phase study investigating Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptom severity within the South African Police Service (SAPS). Two aims of the study were to investigate the relationship of six variables with the outcome variable (PTSD symptom severity) and to construct a regression model that could be used to predict levels ofPTSD symptom severity amongst SAPS members. A third aim was to construct a current list of duty-related stressors that SAPS members face. Phase one comprised 19 officers compiling a duty-related stress list that would form the basis of the stressor questionnaire in phase two. Phase two comprised 97 officers in 12 stations in the West Metropol completing a battery of questionnaires, including the PTSD Symptom Scale: Self-Report Version (Foa, Riggs, Dancu, & Rothbaum, 1993), the Ways of Coping Questionnaire (Folkman & Lazarus, 1988), the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (Zimet, Dahlem, Zimet, & Farley, 1988), an extent of service experience questionnaire, and the duty-related stress list. The results from the regression model showed perceived social support to have significant beneficial effects on PTSD symptom severity as did emotion-focused coping. Problem-focused coping was found to exacerbate PTSD symptom severity. Regression model 1 and regression model 2 were found to not significantly predict the outcome variable and the model of best fit was suggested. === AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die uitwerking wat 'n traumatiese gebeurtenis op 'n individu kan he en die hoe misdaadsyfer in Suid-Afrika (SA) was die beweegredes agter 'n tweefasige studie na die ernstigheid van die simptome van posttraumatiese stresversteuring (PTSV) in die Suid- Afrikaanse Polisiediens (SAPD). Die doel van die studie was om die verwantskap van ses veranderlikes met die uitkomsveranderlike te ondersoek en om 'n regressiemodel te skep wat gebruik kan word om die vlak van ernstigheid van PTSV-simptome by SAPD-Iede te voorspel. 'n Derde doel was om 'n bygewerkte lys van die werksverwante stressors wat SAPD-Iede in die gesig staar, saam te stel. In fase een het 19 polisiebeamptes 'n werksverwante streslys saamgestel wat as grondslag vir die stressorvraelys van fase twee gedien het. Fase twee het die voltooiing van 'n reeks vraelyste deur 97 beamptes van 12 stasies in die Wes-Metropool behels. Vraelyste het die volgende ingesluit: die PTSVsirnptoomskaal: self-aanmeldingsweergawe (Foa, Riggs, Daneu & Rothbaum, 1993), die maniere-van-hantering-vraelys (Folkman & Lazarus, 1998), die multidimensionele skaal van waargenome sosiale ondersteuning (Zimet, Dahlem, Zimet & Farley, 1998), 'n vraelys oor die mate van dienservaring, en die stresvraelys. Die uitslae van die regressiemodel het getoon dat waargenome sosiale ondersteuning, asook emosioneelgefokusde hantering, 'n betekenisvolle voordelige uitwerking op die ernstigheid van PTSV -sirnptome het. Daar is gevind dat probleemgefokusde hantering die ernstigheid van PTSV-simptome vererger. Regressiemodel 1 en die gewysigde regressiemodel 2 het nie die uitkomsveranderlike betekenisvol voorspel nie en die model wat die meeste van pas was, is aanbeveel.