Optimism and Psychological Well-Being of Police Officers With Different Work Experiences

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between optimism and psychological well-being (PWB) among police officers. Sixty police officers, both male and female, between the age range of 26 to 57 years were categorized into two equal groups consisting of participants below 10 years of work experience (Group 1) and above 10 years of work experience (Group 2). They were administered the Psychological Well-Being Scale and Life Orientation Test. Results show that police officers of these two groups differed significantly on their optimism levels. Significant positive correlations were found between optimism and PWB, for Group 2 and the entire sample of police officers. The findings of this study indicate the need for organization-specific interventions to increase optimism to manage health outcomes, and improve the PWB of these officers.