Work Stressors and Resources Among Police Emergency Dispatchers. Exploring Opportunities for Improving Working Conditions for Employees Critical for Public Safety
Emergency dispatchers are required to remain calm and focused, managing complex and intense situations when allocating resources and providing information to first responders on site. However, despite their importance in securing public safety, the working conditions of emergency dispatchers have received marginal attention. This study addresses this gap by exploring: (1) “How do police emergency dispatchers experience their working conditions?” and (2) “Which initiatives do the emergency dispatchers suggest for reducing stress, improving the working conditions, and promoting health maintenance?” We applied qualitative content analysis to responses from 78 police emergency dispatchers to open-ended questions from an online survey. The work's demanding and intense nature is regarded as both stressful and engaging. Cumulative stress is perceived as more challenging than dramatic incidents. Noise and suboptimal technical solutions add to the burden. Lack of follow-up, understaffing and turnover may be depicted as a vicious circle that could be counterbalanced by more staff, outsourcing of redundant tasks, better technical equipment, and leadership-initiated debriefing. Although limitations apply, the results from this study are important for practitioners and researchers within the field of operative psychology and emergency dispatchers. The results can contribute to an improved work environment, work culture, training, well-being, and performance of police emergency dispatchers, which can increase job performance as well as effectiveness and, consequently, secure public safety.
Langvik, Eva; Rostad, Ingrid Steen, Loncar, Lea, Lervåg, Ingvild, Nordnes, Anne Martha Holmvåg & Saksvik-Lehouillier, Ingvild (2025)
Investigative interviews with children A Qualitative Study of Moral Stress Among Police Employees Working in the Special Victim Unit in Norway
Investigating child abuse represents a potential health risk for police employees. However, less is known about the distinct nature of these challenges for specific groups within the special victim unit. We applied qualitative research design, and conducted 15 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with police employees specialized in child investigative interviews, all employed at a large police district in Norway. We used a reflexive, thematic analysis as analytical approach. The analysis identified seven themes: (1) Fear of failing in the mismatch between demand and resources, (2) Questioning the system: Concerns with doing more harm than good; (3) Lack of recognition and understanding by the management, (4) Restrained by the special competence, (5) Working on the edge: the constant balance between closeness and distance, (6) Family: a resource rather than a vulnerability, and (7) Teamwork facilitates professional development. The results point to moral stress, insufficient support, understanding, and acknowledgment from the management as significant stressors. Many experiences a lack of variation in work tasks, adding to the burden. Teamwork can mitigate this, facilitating professional development and available support for this group.
Loncar, Lea; Rostad, Ingrid Steen, Saksvik-Lehouillier, Ingvild & Langvik, Eva (2025)
Organisational Support for Police Employees Investigating Child Abuse in Norway
Requests have been made for research addressing the mental health of police employees, especially studies on available organisational support and stigma. We explored the mental health work climate, opportunities for debriefing, and training among police employees who investigate child abuse cases in Norway. The data was collected through a survey: 77 police employees from six police districts responded, of whom 41% reported that there was an organisational focus on mental health and 20% had received training specific to child sexual Abuse material (CSAM). The majority (90%) endorsed the mandatory annual psychological consultations for police employees working with child abuse investigations. There were significant differences between the police districts regarding work pressure and mental health focus. A content analysis of open-ended responses identified five key categories: Lack of resources; Organised follow-up and debriefing; Acknowledgement and recognition from management; Guidance and training; and Teamwork as optimal work design. The primary stressor was a lack of resources, particularly understaffing and insufficient time. The respondents emphasised structured follow-up, debriefing and teamwork as key to providing a supportive work environment.
Loncar, Lea; Rostad, Ingrid Steen, Saksvik-Lehouillier, Ingvild & Langvik, Eva Oddrun (2025)
Resources to mitigate health impairment among police employees investigating child abuse: a qualitative study exploring the availability of organisational support
Investigating cases of child abuse is a stressful aspect of police work, and the accumulated stress can lead to secondary trauma and burnout if not balanced with sufficient resources. In this study we aimed to explore available resources, including organisational support, among special unit police investigators working with child abuse in a large police district in Norway. Sixteen interviews were conducted with investigators working solely with cases of child abuse, and a thematic analysis resulted in five themes. The participants primarily relied on support and spontaneous diffusing from their colleagues. Working in teams fostered supportive relationships and knowledge transfer, while high turnover represented a significant obstacle to collegial support. The participants experienced a lack of training in handling child abuse material and requested systematic support procedures initiated by the management as a preventive measure. Family and friends were rarely used as a resource due to concerns about emotional impact and confidentiality regulations. There was a general reluctance to raise concerns about work health impairment and to seek counselling from the occupational health service due to a hardiness culture in the police profession. The results suggest that the organisation should implement training, follow‑up and debriefing initiatives to destigmatise mental health challenges and create a supportive work environment. Organising work in teams is recommended to foster close collegial bonds that can mitigate health risks for child abuse investigators.
Rostad, Ingrid Steen & Langvik, Eva Oddrun (2025)
“It’s the workload, not the pictures that keep me up at night.” Experiences of Norwegian police prosecutors working with child abuse cases
Prosecutors are regularly exposed to traumatic accounts of crimes against children in their work. Accompanied by other stressors such as heavy caseloads and short deadlines, prosecutors in child abuse cases are at risk for psychological ill-health. We aimed to explore the experiences of prosecutors working as leading interrogators in cases of child abuse and to identify their most salient challenges and resources. We conducted semi-structured interviews with six prosecutors working in a police district in Norway, all specialized in child abuse cases. A thematic analysis identified the workload and being responsible for the investigation but without any authority to allocate resources as the main stressors. Further, the nature of the cases increases the stress, and the prosecutors are left out of debriefing routines. Further, they experience marginal acknowledgment and understanding from the management, and collegial support is scarce. The prosecutors describe the complexity and challenging part of investigating child abuse cases as highly motivating and meaningful.
Child abuse investigation can include complex stressors increasing the risk of secondary trauma among police professionals. This study explores the preparedness of police students about to engage in child abuse investigation tasks during their recruit period. We did semi-structured interviews with 19 police students to explore the students’ expectations and resources they relied on to cope with stress. Through thematic analysis, five themes emerged: 1) a worthy challenge and a valuable experience; 2) absence of concern about the burdens of “a job to be done”; 3) “Gotta’ work it out!”—physical activity as the default coping mechanism; 4) seeking social support—the importance of talking to someone; 5) education on stress management is limited to operational stress. The results support increasing students’ preparedness for child abuse investigation through knowledge about potential risks, normal reaction to adverse situations, and a focus on effective coping strategies beyond physical activity. The results call for improved and more diverse stress management education in the police, with an emphasis on evidence based coping strategies and reducing stigma associated with mental health help seeking.
“Make it possible for more people to work at home!” representations of employee motivation and job satisfaction in Danish and Norwegian newspapers during the COVID-19 pandemic
Objectives: To study the explanatory role of curricular factors and distress in disturbed eating behavior among medical students and whether this varies according to gender, study stage, curriculum model, study stress and mental distress. Methods: The cross-sectional sample surveyed consisted of Norwegian medical students at two faculties with different curricular models (traditional and integrated). The total response rate was 64% (1044/1635). We tested differences in disturbed eating behavior symptoms (EDS) and their correlates using stepwise linear regression analysis. Results: In total, 18.3% were cases of disturbed eating behavior symptoms, including 23.5% of female and 5.6% of male participants. Disturbed eating behavior symptoms were independently associated with the medical school stress factors “medical school is cold and threatening” (β = 0.07, p = .041), “worries about work and competence” (β =0.15, p < .001) and “worries about finances and accommodation” (β = 0.07, p = .018), in addition to female gender (β = 0.30, p < .001), mental distress (β = 0.17, p < .001), and body mass index (β = 0.28, p < .001). The variables explained 28.9% of the variance in disturbed eating behavior symptoms, and medical school stress contributed 9%. “Worries about work and competence” was more important among the female students. Conclusions: Nearly one in five female medical students in the current sample reported symptoms of disturbed eating behavior. The symptoms were associated with medical school stress factors, mental distress, and body mass index.
Rostad, Ingrid Steen; Tvedt, Sturle Danielsen, Sendén, Marie Gustafsson & Løvseth, Lise T (2018)
Physicians’ Mental Health and Nationality Affect how Work Characteristics Influence Presenteeism
Our study confirms that sickness presenteeism, sickness absenteeism, and long-term health are associated with common psychosocial workplace factors that include attendance pressure, write Ingrid Steen Rostad and colleagues.
Rostad, Ingrid Steen & Ingrid, Schou (2022)
Karer du deg på jobb selv om du er syk?
forskning.no [Internett]
Meland, Svein Inge; Langvik, Eva & Rostad, Ingrid Steen (2020)
Ressursmangel verre enn overgrepsbilder for politietterforskere
GEMINI [Fagblad]
Høy arbeidsbelastning, hyppig utskifting av personell og mangelfull opplæring oppleves som en større påkjenning for politifolk enn å granske bilder og film av seksuelle overgrep mot barn. Dette går fram av en ny rapport.
Rostad, Ingrid Steen (2015)
Derfor går syke ansatte på jobb
forskning.no [Internett]
Rostad, Ingrid Steen (2015)
Syk, men på jobb
legejobber.no [Internett]
Rostad, Ingrid Steen & Holm, Simen Fjellstad (2015)
Arbeidssituasjonen for politiansatte under Covid-19: På vei mot mer fleksible arbeidsformer og økt digital kompetanse
[Academic lecture]. NEON-konferanse.
Langvik, Eva & Rostad, Ingrid Steen (2020)
Å jobbe med etterforskning av vold og overgrep mot barn. Sentrale belastninger og ressurser hos ansatte i Trøndelag Politidistrikt. Resultater fra forskningsprosjektet STRESOB
