Coping with work-related stress amongst junior police officers in Pretoria central police station

Police work is a high-stress occupation that exposes officers to violence, threats, and traumatic events daily. These experiences can cause significant personal distress and negatively impact performance. To cope with these stressful events, police officers employ various strategies. This study examined the coping strategies used by junior police officers at Pretoria's central police station, using Lazarus and Folkman's coping model. A qualitative, descriptive design was used to explore the experiences of nine junior officers through individual interviews. The results showed that junior officers primarily used emotional coping strategies rather than avoidance strategies. The identified coping mechanisms included religion, socialization, self-encouragement, motivation, work acceptance, and consultation with health professionals. The study recommends conducting longitudinal studies with larger samples across multiple police stations in Gauteng and among senior officers to further understand and support police officers' mental well-being.