Den “osynliga” skyddsvästen - En tematisk analysstudie om polisers upplevelser av stöd vid psykosocial belastning.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate and understand front line police officers' experiences and usage of psychosocial support. In addition to this, promoting and limiting factors were explored. The research on the topic of perception and utilization of supportive resources by police officers was limited. This study was motivated due to the dynamic work environment front line police officers were operating in and the psychological effects that it could potentially have on the individual. The study was conducted by using a qualitative research method through semi-structured interviews with eight front line police officers from five different offices in the Swedish west, also called Region Väst. The collected material was analyzed by thematic analysis, using an abductive approach. The findings revealed four overall themes that can give an understanding as to how police officers navigated between the collegial and the organizational support. The themes included: individual experiences and responsibilities, the importance of colleagues, culture and norms, and organizational conditions for support. These themes were identified as being intertwined and had a potential impact on whether police officers were inclined to seek support through the police organization, or if they relied upon their colleagues. These findings were problematized by using the Job Demands-Resources-model to highlight how the perception and/or utilization of the supportive resources could have an organizational impact. This study also showed how the collegial support could develop and over time become a structural weakness for the organization as it could mask the need for additional support. This could lead to long standing exhaustion of the police officers and affect the organization negatively over time. The conclusion of the study was that front line police officers operated in a complex field where the navigation of the support couldn’t be answered by a single, definitive factor. Instead, this study identified several different factors that could have a potential impact on the utilization of supportive resources.