Stress as the Result of Trauma Situations Experienced by Penitentiary Police (Correction Officers) in the Line of Duty in the Republic of Albania

Abstract

This study aims to evidence and explain the connection between stress and trauma situations experienced by penitentiary police or correction officers, viewed as members of those employed to ensure public safety. More specifically, this study has explored what are the trauma situations, their connection to experienced stress, the level of this particular stress and its intensity, etc. That it why the specific OPTI-Fragebogen questionnaire was used as a measuring instrument for public security employees in order to provide a precise expose of the existence of this phenomenon among these kind population, the taxonomic of trauma situation, stress level and the predisposition of this group of population to be affected by the post traumatic stress disorder and psychological aftermath. Ten percent of the general number of efficient correction officers all over the prisons of the Republic of Albania was polled for this questionnaire. This study also sheds light on the need of competent and respective bodies to take preventive measures in order to enable the correction officers and penitentiary police of this institutions to experience as little as possible stress while and after exercising their duties because an employ who enjoys and demonstrates a good state of mental health, will accomplish and fulfill in the best manner his functional tasks. This phenomenon has been widely studied in the most developed countries of the world but it is the first time ever that it is being studied in our country based on rigorously scientific foundations.

DOI: 10.5901/ajis.2015.v4n2s2p82