New research on differences in stress levels among Lebanese, Russian, and Serbian police officers

By MUBS Communications Dept., 27 Oct, 2021.

A new research paper was published by Dr. Fadi Fayad from the International School of Business at the Modern University for Business and Science (MUBS) in the International Policing Journal: A Journal of Policy and Practice.

This study was released in collaboration with Abu Dhabi Police, Kansas State University, Univerzitet UNION Nikola Tesla, the University of Criminal Investigation and Police Studies, University of Belgrade, South Ural State University, Moscow State University of Medicine and Dentistry, and Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.

The study, titled “Operational Stress of Police Officers: A Cross-sectional Study in Three Countries with Centralized, hierarchical organization”, examined the differences between occupational stress among police officers in two different European countries- Russia and Serbia- and one Middle Eastern country, Lebanon.

An interesting find is that occupational stress was lower in Russian and Lebanese Officers than in Serbian ones. Age and cultural differences were influential factors as work-related stressors were rated higher for the younger Russian officers, while more social-related stressors were rated higher for the older Serbian officers. Thus, these findings suggest that social and work-related stressors manifest differently in each country and that different age groups perceive and react differently to stressful situations.

The finding confirmed that it is essential to consider officers’ stress sources and overall stress levels. Consequently, it is crucial to identify exactly what is creating stress and to address it through a constructive and well-thought-out plan.

Younger police officers might benefit from mentoring and reinforced training opportunities which could boost their problem-solving and confidence skills, lessening work-related stress. On the other hand, officers who rank social-related stressors highly could benefit from stress management, relationship building, and psychosocial enhancement strategies.

This study is a valuable contribution to the growing and emerging literature attempting to analyze the variables that influence stress in the field of law enforcement.

For those interested in the full paper, you can check it out here: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/355093390_Operational_stress_of_police_officers_A_cross-sectional_study_in_three_countries_with_centralized_hierarchical_organization