The Impact of Social Support and Occupational Stress on Burnout in the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service

Abstract

Police officers experience very stressful working environments which may lead to a range of negative outcomes including burnout. Police officers in Caribbean countries are no exception as they face demanding work conditions. Despite this, studies have paid little attention to Caribbean policing. Using data from the eight police divisions in Trinidad (N = 331 police officers), this study examined the relationship among social support (supervisor, co-worker, and family), occupational stress (organizational and operational) and burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment). Path analysis was used to test the hypothesis that social support served to reduce occupational stress, which in turn led to reduced burnout. The results suggested that supervisor support reduced organizational stress, while co-worker and family support reduced operational stress. Organizational stress, in turn affected emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment, while operational stress affected emotional exhaustion and depersonalization.