Physical Practice and Wellness Courses Reduce Distress and Improve Wellbeing in Police Officers

Daniela Acquadro Maran, Massimo Zedda and Antonella Varetto
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Daniela Acquadro Maran: Department of Psychology, Università di Torino, Via Verdi 10, 10124 Torino, Italy
Massimo Zedda: Department of Psychology, Università di Torino, Via Verdi 10, 10124 Torino, Italy
Antonella Varetto: Città della Salute e della Scienza, Corso Bramante, 88, 10126 Torino, Italy

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 15, issue 4, 1-10

Abstract: Background: The aim of this work was to evaluate a course to reduce distress in an Italian police force. Based on the findings from the first investigations on this population, courses to improve the ability to manage distress were tailored by management. Several free courses were proposed, including physical efficiency (e.g., total body conditioning) and wellness (e.g., autogenic training) classes. The goal of this research was to evaluate the courses and their impact on the perceived distress and general health of the participants, as well as the effectiveness in increasing the use of adaptive coping strategies. Methods: A descriptive investigation was conducted involving a sample of 105 police officers before (time 1) and after (time 2) they had participated in the courses. Results: Findings confirmed both physical and wellness courses affected, in participants, the perceived distress, thereby increasing the perception of wellbeing. The participants expressed having mental health benefits, the use of adaptive coping strategies increased, while the maladaptive coping strategies decreased. Conclusion: This study confirms that these courses could effectively reduce the risk of chronic disease, a consequence of persistent exposure to distress.

Keywords: work-related stress; coping strategies; mental health; police (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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