Interlinking Police Officers' Operational Stress and Level of Resiliency

Police officers are among the professionals known to be most exposed to critical incidents. In their quest for public safety, peace and order, they need to combat work-related stresses. This research sought to analyze the significant relationship between the operational stress and resiliency among the Regional Mobile Force Battalion (RMFB) in Region 02, Philippines, specifically to determine the levels of their operational stress and resiliency (in terms of compassion satisfaction, burnout and secondary trauma stress). A descriptive-correlation research design was used to answer the objectives of the study. The Operational Police Stress Questionnaire (McCreary & Thompson, 2006) and the Professional Quality of Life Questionnaire (Stamm, 2009) were utilized to gather the necessary data. Frequency counts, percentages, computed mean, t-test, f-test and chi-square were used to illustrate the data gathered. The RMFB have low level of operational stress, moderate level of resiliency in burnout and secondary trauma stress. A significant relationship between operational stress and resiliency was evident. It can therefore be concluded that to have the capacity to recover from operational stress, there should be high compassion satisfaction combined with moderate levels of burnout and secondary trauma stress. This embodies a more positive behavioral outcome to recuperate from a stressful situation. It is recommended to consider conducting a routine assessment of police officers’ operational stress as basis for an intervention program.