MCR002 Organizational Behavior Time allowed: 20 minutes
1
Case Study
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Policing
Answer guide:
1. What types of emotions do you think police officers might frequently experience in
their workplace. Base your answers on the Circumplex model of emotions?
Answer guide:
Police officers will experience their own emotions in their workplace, and possibly
also the heightened emotions of both perpetrators and victims of crime, as well as
those of co-workers. It is likely they will experience three of the types of emotions
shown below: those of high-activation positive emotions, high-activation negative
emotions and low-activation negative emotions. The intense, dynamic and highpressure work environment of policing seems unlikely to promote low-activation
positive emotions (feelings of calm, contentment and tranquillity).
MCR002 Organizational Behavior Time allowed: 20 minutes
2
2. How might police officers, their leaders and support professionals use emotional
intelligence when supporting officers who are experiencing mental health issues such
as stress, burnout, anxiety or depression?
Answer guide:
Awareness of their own emotions would allow police officers to determine how
confident and comfortable they feel discussing mental health issues with co-workers.
Being aware of others’ emotions will also allow officers to determine how colleagues
might feel about having discussions about mental health issues (e.g. scared,
nervous, vulnerable, relieved), and use this insight to determine how to approach and
frame the conversation. Officers should manage their own emotions during these
conversations, emotions that might include feelings of empathy or pity, or
unsympathetic feelings such as cynicism. Leaders could use their awareness of
others’ emotions to show empathy and sensitivity to the feelings of their subordinates
and to notice signs that they may need professional support. Counsellors could use
management of others’ emotions to create positive and supportive experiences of
discussing issues with employees.
Source: Adapted from McShane et al. 2019 . McGraw Hill Australia. Case written by Megan Woods, Sarah Dawkins, Rob Macklin
and Angela Martin, University of Tasmania adapted
Thank you!