Since 2011, we have been researching the psychological wellbeing of staff in the criminal justice system who are exposed to traumatic material on a regular basis. We are continuing this research with the first longitudinal study to date. In addition, we have several studies completed on the psychological wellbeing of front-line emergency services personnel.
These professionals do an incredible job and are often very resilient in terms of what they must cope with. Our goal is to better understand which parts of their role are the most challenging in terms of their wellbeing, how they cope, and what characterises resilience so we can translate this knowledge into real-world interventions to prevent harm and promote resilience.
Findings and recent publications
Duran, F., Woodhams, J. Impact of Traumatic Material on Professionals in Analytical and Secondary Investigative Roles Working in Criminal Justice Settings: a Qualitative Approach. Journal of Police Criminal Psychology (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11896-022-09532-8
Duran, F., Woodhams, J. & Bishopp, D. (2019). An Interview Study of the Experiences of Police Officers in Regard to Psychological Contract and Wellbeing. Journal of Police Criminal Psychology, 34, 184–198. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11896-018-9275-z
Duran, F., Woodhams, J. & Bishopp, D. An Interview Study of the Experiences of Firefighters in Regard to Psychological Contract and Stressors. Employee Responsibilities Rights Journal, 30, 203–226 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10672-018-9314-z
Duran, F., Woodhams, J., & Bishopp, D. (2019), Relationships between psychological contract violation, stress and well-being in firefighters, International Journal of Workplace Health Management, 12(3), 120-133. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJWHM-09-2018-0114
Duran, F., Woodhams, J., & Bishopp, D. (2021). The relationships between psychological contract violation, occupational stress, and well-being in police officers. International Journal of Stress Management, 28(2), 141–146. https://doi.org/10.1037/str0000214
Duran, F., & Woodhams, J. (2022). Impact of the current pandemic on intelligence and analytical professionals working in police and law enforcement organizations. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0001221