Police use of force linked to detachment, not exhaustion, study finds
A meta-analysis of nearly 5,000 officers reveals that using force doesn't burn out police—it makes them emotionally detached from their work. The finding, stronger in Europe than the U.S., suggests departments need different strategies to prevent officers from becoming cynical and disconnected rather than tired.
Originaltitel: The link between use-of-force and burnout amongst police officers: a meta-analysis
**Polisers användning av våld kopplad till depersonalisering – men inte utmattning** Svenska och internationella poliskårer visar ett svagt samband mellan våldanvändning och psykisk påfrestning, men sambandet är mer nyanserat än tidigare antaget. En metaanalys av tio studier med närmare 5 000 poliser avslöjar att våldanvändning inte förutsäger känslomässig utmattning eller minskad känsla av personlig prestation. En signifikant koppling fanns dock för depersonalisering – en avkoppling från arbetsuppgifter och människor – särskilt i europeiska poliskårer och när våld mättes som attityd snarare än faktiska insatser. Kvinnliga poliser uppvisade markant starkare depersonaliseringseffekt vid våldanvändning än manliga kolleger, vilket tyder på olika psykologiska påfrestningar mellan könen. För kommunledningar och personalchefer innebär resultaten att våldanvändning inte automatiskt orsakar klassisk utmattning, men väl risk för depersonalisering. Differentierade stödinsatser för kvinnligt befäl bör övervägas. Studien genomfördes vid Södertörn och Umeå universitet.
This study presents a meta-analysis examining the association between police officers' use of force and burnout across its subdimensions: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment. Following PRISMA guidelines, we searched six databases and screened studies through a multi-stage process, resulting in 10 eligible articles ( n = 4,916). Random-effects models were used to account for substantial heterogeneity. Across all burnout subdimensions combined, there was no significant relationship with UoF ( r = 0.05, 95% CI [−0.14, 0.25]). Analyses by subdimension revealed that emotional exhaustion ( k = 7, n = 1,840; r = −0.06, 95% CI [−0.19, 0.08]) and personal accomplishment ( k = 5, n = 1,579; r = −0.04, 95% CI [−0.11, 0.03]) were not significantly associated with UoF. However, a small but significant positive association was found for depersonalization ( k = 8, n = 4,483; r = 0.21, 95% CI [0.02, 0.38], p = 0.03). Moderator analyses indicated that this relationship varied by geographic region and measurement type. The depersonalization–UoF correlation was stronger in European studies ( r = 0.35) than U.S. studies ( r = 0.06) and stronger when UoF was measured via attitudes ( r = 0.36) than actual incidents ( r = 0.08). Gender composition significantly moderated the association. In samples with a higher proportion of female officers, the relationship between UoF and depersonalization became markedly stronger. This suggests that female officers might experience greater psychological strain, in the form of depersonalization, when engaging in or endorsing UoF, potentially reflecting unique role expectations, occupational stressors, or organizational dynamics. Systematic review registration The study protocol was registered at the Open Science Framework (OSF): https://osf.io/j5t9z .