A comparison of police cadets' personality characteristics, coping behaviour, and psychological health before and after basic training

Abstract

The aim of the study was to explore personality profiles and coping and mental health strategies and symptoms of police trainees and to determine any significance in these after a training programme. Data was gathered by means of different psychometric instruments: the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), Ways of Coping (WOC) and Symptoms Checklist-90-R (SCL-90-R) questionnaires, to evaluate the personality characteristics, coping behaviour and psychological health of the new police recruits. Mean scores, standard deviations, and dependent t-test scores were used to describe the samples and the differences between investigated variables. Data was captured on an Excel spreadsheet, after which the results were analysed using Statistica high performance statistical software. The personality profile of police trainees indicate that they are high in harm avoidance and novelty seeking; low in cooperativeness and average in persistence, self directedness and self transcendence. In terms of significant pre and post training differences the results show an increase in depression symptoms, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, hostility and paranoid ideations post training. Significant differences were also found between self-controlling strategies pre- and post-training. It appears that the recruit’s self-control decreased after they completed their six months of training. There were no significant differences found between the personality traits on the pre-and post tests. Recommendations for further research are made. AFRIKAANS : Die doel van die studie was om persoonlikheid, hantering en sielkundige welstand profiele van polisie studente te ondersoek en om te bepaal of daar enige beduidende veranderinge in die profiele plaasgevind het nadat hulle ‘n opleidingsprogram deurloop het. Data was ingevorder deur middel van psigometriese instrumente – die Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), Ways of Coping (WOC) en Symptoms Checklist-90-R vraelyste, om persoonlikheidseienskappe, hanteringsgedrag en sielkundige welstand van nuwe polisiestudente te evalueer. Gemiddelde tellings, standaardafwykings en persentasies,sowel as afhanklike ttoets tellings is gebruik om die steekproewe en verskille tussen ondersoekende veranderlikes te beskryf. Data was ingevoer in ‘n Excel dokument en resultate was geanaliseer deur gebruik te maak van Statistica hoogs uitvoerbare statistiese sagteware. Die persoonlikheidsprofiel van polisie studente toon hoë tellings op “harm avoidance” en “novelty seeking” en gemiddelde tellings op “persistence”, “self directedness” en “self transcendence”. In terme van beduidende voor-en na toets opleiding verskille is daar ‘n aanduiding dat verhoging in depressie simptome, obsessief-kompulsiewe simptome, woede en paranoiese ideasies plaasgevind het na opleiding. Beduidende verskille was gevind tussen selfbeheersing strategieë in die voor-en na toets. Dit wil voorkom asof selfbeheersing afgeneem het nadat hulle ses maande opleiding voltooi het. Daar was geen beduidende verskille tussen persoonlikheidstrekke op die voor-en na toets nie. Aanbevelings vir verdere navorsing is gemaak.