Date
11-13-2024
Department
School of Behavioral Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD)
Chair
Matthew Ferdock
Keywords
First Responders, Resilience, Resiliency, Police, Public Safety, Job Satisfaction, Perceived Stress, Stress, Categorical Stress, Mental Wellness
Disciplines
Psychology
Recommended Citation
Iobst, Benjamin T., "Mitigating the Negative Effects of Perceived Stress Using Wellness and Resiliency Training Programs on Job Satisfaction in Public Safety Officers in the United States" (2024). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 6140.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/6140
Abstract
The following quasi-experimental, cross-sectional, survey-based quantitative research study investigated the role of wellness and resiliency training programming in mitigating the adverse effects of stress on job satisfaction (JS) in US Public Safety Officers (PSOs). This research measured the dimensions of perceived stress, such as technological stress, critical incidents, organizational stressors, work-life balance, and social-conflict stress. Additionally, this research examined the relationship between these stressors, wellness, and resiliency education and their effect on job satisfaction in PSOs. It was found that perceived stress has a statistically significant negative correlation with job satisfaction (rs = -.466, p < .001). Additionally, organizational stress (rs = -0.556, p < 0.001), work-life balance stress (rs = -0.452, p < 0.001), critical incident stress (rs = -0.306, p < 0.001), and social conflict stress (rs = -0.298, p < 0.001) have a statistically significant negative correlation with job satisfaction, whereas technological stress does not (rs = -0.109, p = 0.129). Finally, it was found that resiliency training does not have a statistically significant relationship with job satisfaction (U (195) = 4647, p = .971) or perceived stress (U (195) = 4434.50, p = .608) based on the conditions that were tested. Police departments can use results from this research to guide and develop policies and training to address stress and job satisfaction in the public safety industry.