"Was mich nicht umbringt macht mich stärker" Polisen & PTG

Sammanfattning: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether police officers who have been exposed to threats and violence in their profession have a higher degree of Posttraumatic Growth, PTG. PTG was measured in relation to threats and violence on the following parameters; psychological management, reactions which included current feelings of threat/anxiety and psychological influence. The respondents included 42 police officers who served in Skåne, Sweden. The ages ranged from 26 to 65 years and the majority of the police officers had served as police officers for between 10-13 years. A quantitative method was used in form of a questionnaire which included questions regarding exposure to threats and violence and the measuring instrument PTGI. The results indicated that police officers who perceive their ability to psychologically manage threats and violence better did not have a high degree of PTG. Regarding their current feelings of threat/anxiety, a higher degree of PTG was reported in the dimensions new opportunities, spiritual change and relationships with others. Those who believed that their mental health had been influenced by threatening or violent events reported a higher degree of PTG. The results suggest that PTG can develop following exposure to traumatic events in form of threat or violence. Furthermore, the discussion is focused on how the results may be relevant for the Police. Suggestion for future research is a larger selection of police officers. Another suggestion is to include personal factors as personality, cognitive processing, social support and social desirability.