Relationship between Perceived Adverse Working Conditions and Psychological Distress among Police Officers in Embu County, Kenya
| dc.contributor.author | Mugo, Linet Muthoni | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2024-08-15T13:24:43Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2024-08-15T13:24:43Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2024-04 | |
| dc.description | A Research Project Submitted to the School of Law, Arts and Social Sciences in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology of Kenyatta University, April 2024. Supervisor Eunice Githae | |
| dc.description.abstract | Evidence shows that police officers normally work in an environment characterized by shootings, exposure to death, life-threatening experiences such as riots, and pressure from management commonly referred to as adverse working conditions. These conditions are likely to affect their psychological well-being and resulting into anxiety and depression. Studies have indicated that police officers sometimes contend with challenging working conditions, however, as much as some of these officers appear to thrive, they get affected by such conditions. The general objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between perceived adverse working conditions and psychological distress among police officers in Kenya. Specifically, the study adopted the following specific objectives to: Determine the state of adverse working conditions, investigate the relationship between anxiety and psychological distress, examine the relationship between depression and psychological distress and assess the relationship between self-harm and psychological distress among police officers in Embu County. The study was anchored on Affective Events Theory and the Person-Environment Fit Theory. Correlational research design approach was used to investigate the relationship between adverse working condition and psychological distress. Viechtbauer (2015) formula was used to calculate a sample size of 294 participants drawn from 1234 police officers based in Embu County via stratified and simple random sampling technique. Data was collected from 294 participants using a mixed questionnaire that incorporated two measurement tools; Kessler Distress Score and Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire. The collected data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, specifically Pearson Correlation, with the assistance of SPSS software version 28.0. The study found out that over 44% police officers experienced psychological distress associated to adverse work environment, over 46% had had experienced anxiety through perceived adverse working conditions, where workplace factors, such as safety, discrimination, and workload, exhibited significant correlations with psychological distress. The study again found out that over 43% police officers had psychological distress associated with depression from work environment as demonstrated by officers having suicidal thoughts, guiltiness and lonely. It was also found out that majority of respondents over 42% were exposed to self-harm tendencies. These highlights the profound impact of adverse working conditions on the mental well-being of police officers in Embu County. The study therefore, recommends that work conditions of police officers needs to be improved through effective workload management, establishment and implementation of comprehensive safety protocols, provision of better equipment, conflict resolution training, and providing emotional support for police officers. | |
| dc.description.sponsorship | Kenyatta University | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/28662 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | Kenyatta University | |
| dc.title | Relationship between Perceived Adverse Working Conditions and Psychological Distress among Police Officers in Embu County, Kenya | |
| dc.type | Thesis |