A Structural Model on the Post-Traumatic Growth of Police Officers

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to construct and test a structural model for the Post-traumatic Growth (PTG) of police officers. The conceptual model is based on Calhoun and Tedeschi's PTG theory. Methods: Data were collected from 269 police officers working at 10 police stations in Seoul from September 26 to October 9, 2017. The exogenous variable was traumatic experiences, and endogenous variables were pain perception, self disclosure, social support, deliberate rumination, and PTG. The collected data were analyzed in order to calculate the direct and indirect effects of factors affecting PTG using SPSS/WIN 23.0 and AMOS 21.0. Results: The hypothetical model showed a good fit to the data: x²/df=2.57, GFI=.90, CFI=.95, TLI=.91, RMSEA=.07, SRMR=.07. The hypothetical model showed a similar result with the data, and out of 10 paths, 7 were statistically significant. The model explained 36% of the variance in the PTG of police officers. The model confirmed that social support and deliberate rumination had a direct effect, and that self-disclosure had an indirect effect on police officers' PTG. Conclusion: Nursing intervention programs to increase PTG of police officers should focus on deliberate rumination, social support, and self-disclosure. In addition, they should be accompanied by various crisis managements and consultations that can promote PTG.