Burnout depersonalization6/18/2023 One notable exception is a study by Dowler (2005), who evaluated whether factors associated with workload, support, stress, and feelings of accomplishment could explain racial differences in negative feelings about work. While an increasing number of studies in policing have been uncovering key racial differences with respect to burnout, few have attempted to explain why Black officers seem less vulnerable to it. Interestingly, lower levels of burnout for Black versus White workers have been found in other occupations, including medicine, education, and social work ( Bottiani et al., 2019 Garcia et al., 2020 Salyers and Bond, 2001 Templeton and Satcher, 2007). In a series of studies by led by McCarty, after controlling for a variety of correlates of burnout, the researchers found that relative to White officers, Black officers reported lower levels of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization ( McCarty and Garland, 2007 McCarty and Skogan, 2013 McCarty et al., 2019). The literature also indicates that White officers report higher levels of burnout than Black officers ( Dowler, 2005 Hawkins, 2001 McCarty and Garland, 2007 McCarty and Skogan, 2013 McCarty et al., 2019). With respect to sociodemographic factors, research suggests that in addition to race, office burnout is affected by gender, education, and age ( Kutz, 2008 McCarty et al., 2019). ![]() Further studies highlight the influence of organizational factors on burnout, such as fairness, support, and a sense of community ( Burke and Mikkelsen, 2006 Frank et al., 2017 McCarty et al., 2019). For example, research shows that conflict related to one's role is associated with burnout ( Frank et al., 2017 Kwak et al., 2018 Vuorensyrjä and Mälkiä, 2011) and that workload affects burnout, particularly when individuals lack the time to rest, recover, and achieve a work-life balance ( Hall et al., 2010 McCarty et al., 2019 Morash et al., 2006). Much of the research on officer burnout examines the influence of correlates drawn from theoretical perspectives, such as the job demands-resources model ( Demerouti et al., 2001), the areas of worklife model ( Leiter and Maslach, 2003), and the conservation of resources theory ( Hobfoll, 1989 Basinska and Dåderman, 2019), which hypothesize that burnout is the result of disequilibrium between the demands of work, the resources needed, and the rewards obtained for successfully completing occupational tasks. Research also shows that burnout is associated with poor agency performance ( Shane, 2010 Smoktunowicz et al., 2015), as well as outcomes that can undermine trust and confidence in the police, such as aggressiveness and use of force ( Kop et al., 1999 Neely and Cleveland, 2012 Queirós et al., 2013). Research shows that officer burnout is associated with unhealthy coping mechanisms, mental health problems, family violence, and suicide ( Baldwin et al., 2019 Johnson et al., 2005 McCarty and Garland, 2007 Zulkafaly et al., 2017). Studying burnout is vital because this phenomenon is associated with adverse outcomes for officers and agencies. Using data from the National Police Research Platform II (NPRP II) ( Rosenbaum et al., 2013–2015) and drawing from the areas of worklife model ( Leiter and Maslach, 2003) and association between diversity and police reform ( President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing, 2015), we evaluated seven potential mediators: workload, workplace control, job satisfaction, supervisor fairness, alignment with agency values, inclusivity in the agency, support for reform strategies, and officer mindset. The purpose of this study is to examine potential explanations for racial differences in officer burnout. The finding that Black officers report less burnout than White officers is inconsistent with many theories used to describe the experiences of Black officers in law enforcement, such as aversive racism theory ( Dovidio and Gaetner, 2004), tokenism ( Kanter, 1977), and double marginality ( Alex, 1969). (2017) found that 62% of White officers reported becoming more callous since taking the job, compared to only 32% of Black officers. For example, in a 2016 study of 7,917 officers from 54 agencies in the United States of America, Morin et al. Research suggests that Black officers report less burnout than White officers ( Dowler, 2005 Hawkins, 2001 McCarty and Garland, 2007 McCarty and Skogan, 2013 McCarty et al., 2019 Morin et al., 2017). ![]() Copyright © 2022, Emerald Publishing LimitedĪccording to the World Health Organization (2019), occupational burnout is defined as “a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed,” and it is characterized by three dimensions: (1) depleted feelings of mental and physical energy, (2) feelings of mental distance from work and/or feelings of cynicism or negativity toward work, and (3) reduced performance and job efficacy.
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