Wounded Heros

Résumé du livre

Emotional disability retirement among police is rapidly increasing. This dissertation explores the experiences of three former police officers each of whom became emotionally disabled and retired after ten years of service. Prior literature was criticized for failing to address the contextual and developmental variables that are related to job-related emotional dysfunction. It was speculated that emotional disability was not solely a function of personality but was a product of the relationships among personality, task, agency, society, and family. It was further speculated that these interactions would be influenced by issues of career development. Specifically, it was thought that a maturing officer would become less compatible with his agency as his own growing needs for autonomy and achievement opposed agency-imposed limitations in these areas. Case histories were based on data collected from intensive interviews with officers, wives, supervisors, and administrators. Personnel records and Workers' Compensation files were also reviewed. Systems theory and ecological psychology were used as analytic frames of reference. Case discussion focused on the hierarchical structure of police agencies, organizational and cultural contributions to the amplification of personal and marital problems, phases of career development, and the interaction of mental health, law enforcement and the Workers' Compensation process. It was concluded that management practices, specifically those regarding discretion and the monitoring of community relationships, made a major contribution to emotional dysfunction. The most critical developmental change for the individual was an increased need for autonomy that manifested itself in conflicts over personal and task-related discretion. It was suggested that officers need more personal authority within their agencies, and it was recommended that departments plan for developmental changes by structuring career paths that do not link benefit eligibility or reward with longevity. It was recommended that departments assume responsibility for the provision of mental health consultation to officers and their families and improve current methods of supervision and evaluation. Suggestions were made for further research regarding praxis and theory.