Content area

Abstract

Law enforcement officers are often among the first responders to critical incidents, and over time, these exposures can have cumulative and detrimental effects on their psychological and emotional well-being. While the adverse impact of trauma exposure on law enforcement officers has been acknowledged, their mental health experiences are frequently overlooked. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of post-traumatic stress symptoms, compassion fatigue, compassion satisfaction, moral injury, and self-compassion among officers frequently exposed to critical incidents. A sample of N=177 law enforcement officers was recruited from police departments from the states of Florida and New York. Findings indicated that officers in operational units reported significantly higher levels of secondary trauma and moral injury compared to those in non-operational units. Additionally, self-compassion was found to be negatively associated with PTSD symptoms and moral injury. Finally, years of service were positively correlated with compassion fatigue (burnout, secondary traumatic stress), and moral injury. The study concludes with clinical implications and recommendations for future research.

Details

1010268
Title
Exploring Compassion Fatigue, Compassion Satisfaction, and Moral Injury Among Law Enforcement Officers: A Survey
Author
Number of pages
76
Publication year
2025
Degree date
2025
School code
1503
Source
DAI-A 86/10(E), Dissertation Abstracts International
ISBN
9798310392786
Committee member
Levin, Leanne J.; Vivian, James E.; Papazoglou, Konstantinos
University/institution
Fielding Graduate University
Department
The School of Psychology
University location
United States -- California
Degree
Ph.D.
Source type
Dissertation or Thesis
Language
English
Document type
Dissertation/Thesis
Dissertation/thesis number
31937266
ProQuest document ID
3192201194
Document URL
https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/exploring-compassion-fatigue-satisfaction-moral/docview/3192201194/se-2?accountid=208611
Copyright
Database copyright ProQuest LLC; ProQuest does not claim copyright in the individual underlying works.
Database
ProQuest One Academic