The association between stress mindset and physical and psychological wellbeing : testing a stress beliefs model in police officers
Year of publication
2020
Authors
Keech, Jacob J.; Cole, Kaitlyn L.; Hagger, Martin S.; Hamilton, Kyra
Abstract
Objective: Emergency service workers like police officers experience high levels of stress in the course of their regular duties. Holding particular stress mindsets may help to mitigate the deleterious effects of stress and promote wellbeing in workers experiencing regular stress. The study aimed to examine the processes by which stress mindsets relate to health and wellbeing in police officers. A stress beliefs model in which perceived somatic symptoms and coping behaviours mediate effects of stress mindsets on outcomes was tested. Design: Police officers (N = 134) completed an online cross-sectional survey. Main outcome measures: Perceived somatic symptoms, proactive coping behaviours, physical and psychological wellbeing, and perceived stress. Results: Bayesian path analysis with informative priors revealed indirect effects of stress mindsets on psychological wellbeing and perceived stress through proactive coping behaviours and perceived somatic symptoms. Physical and psychological wellbeing, and perceived stress were predicted by stress mindsets directly, and through perceived somatic symptoms. Conclusion: The findings support model predictions that behaviours aimed at proactively meeting demands and perceived somatic symptoms mediated the relationship between stress mindset and health-related outcomes. The findings provide further foundational knowledge on mechanisms through which stress mindset is associated with outcomes and can inform future longitudinal and experimental research.
Show moreOrganizations and authors
University of Jyväskylä
Hagger Martin
Publication type
Publication format
Article
Parent publication type
Journal
Article type
Original article
Audience
ScientificPeer-reviewed
Peer-ReviewedMINEDU's publication type classification code
A1 Journal article (refereed), original researchPublication channel information
Journal
Publisher
Volume
35
Issue
11
Pages
1306-1325
ISSN
Publication forum
Publication forum level
2
Open access
Open access in the publisher’s service
No
Self-archived
Yes
Other information
Fields of science
Public health care science, environmental and occupational health; Psychology
Keywords
[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object]
Publication country
United Kingdom
Internationality of the publisher
International
Language
English
International co-publication
Yes
Co-publication with a company
No
DOI
10.1080/08870446.2020.1743841
The publication is included in the Ministry of Education and Culture’s Publication data collection
Yes