THE MODERATING ROLE OF NEUROTIC PERSONALITY IN POLICE WORK STRESS AND MALADAPTIVE COPING

Abstract

This study explores the interplay between the perception of stress, maladaptive coping strategies, and the personality trait of neuroticism among police officers. The researchers investigate whether neuroticism acts as a moderator, influencing the association between stress perception and maladaptive coping behaviours in this population. Through the utilisation of quantitative methods, data were collected from a sample of 230 police officers. Statistical analyses were done with PROCESS, model 1. The findings showed that stress and neuroticism directly led to more maladaptive coping among police officers. Also, the findings indicated that neuroticism does indeed act as a moderator in the relationship between stress perception and maladaptive coping among police officers. Interestingly, however, the result showed police officers high in the perception of stress and neuroticism exhibited lower levels of maladaptive coping. This unexpected direction of the relationship suggests that there may be confounding factors or alternative mechanisms at play, warranting further investigation. This study partially supports the theoretical framework proposed by Mark and Smith (2008). However, the counterintuitive findings highlight the complexity of understanding stress and coping behaviours in police officers and underscore the need for future research to delve deeper into the underlying factors contributing to these results.   Keywords: Neurotic personality, Maladaptive coping, Police work stress,