Date
4-26-2024
Department
Helms School of Government
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Criminal Justice (PhD)
Chair
Joseph Finck
Keywords
Criminal Justice, Law Enforcement, Mental Wellness, Employee Assistance Programs, Officer Wellness
Disciplines
Psychology | Social and Behavioral Sciences
Recommended Citation
Quinn-Henry, Lovetta, "Understanding the Lived Experiences of Law Enforcement Officers Utilizing Employee Assistance Programs After Critical Incidents" (2024). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 5433.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/5433
Abstract
The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological research was to understand and describe the lived experiences of Central Florida law enforcement officers who utilized an employee assistance program (EAP) following a critical incident. Law enforcement professionals exposed to critical workplace incidents are often referred to an EAP for their mental health. The problem is that law enforcement officers severely underutilize the available services offered by an EAP, even after critical incidents when the support is urgently needed. Piaget’s work is underpinned by McCann and Pearlman’s constructivist self-development theory guiding the study. The theory asserts that individuals draw from their experiences to shape their reality, thus creating a worldview used to understand traumatic experiences associated with stigmas, apprehensions, and beliefs utilizing EAPs after critical incidents. The researcher conducted Zoom interviews with 11 participants; 13 semistructured questions were asked to gather rich data to answer the central research question and two subquestions. A critical analysis of the interviews led to the identification of five major themes: (a) EAP is not effective, (b) intervening factors influence the relationship between incidents and outcomes, (c) change in law enforcement officers’ beliefs and behaviors after the critical incident, (d) barriers associated with EAP services, and (e) potential for EAPs and other service providers.
