Selfmoord-denkbeeldvorming in die Suid-Afrikaanse Polisiediens in die Noordwes-Provinsie

Abstract

With increasing numbers of suicides among police officers in South Africa it is clear that drastic steps must be taken to evaluate the problem and determine the cause. Police officers work in extreme conditions with high stress intensity. That is why it is important for police officers to be equipped with the necessary psychological strengths to handle stressful situations successfully. If stressful situations are coped with unsuccessfully it will have negative consequences, such as suicide. Suicide ideation is an important step in the process towards completed suicide. The South African Police Services (SAPS) is responsible for the wellbeing of its workforce and the maintaining of mental wellness. That is why it is important to determine the level of psychological strengths in police officers and the influence thereof on suicide ideation. In this research the relationship between coherence, self-efficacy, locus of control and coping as psychological strengths on the one hand and suicide ideation on the other hand were studied. If there is a relationship between the psychological strengths and suicide ideation it would be of the utmost importance to the SAPS to help with the recruitment, selection, development and management of their human resources and the lending of successful support systems. The objective of the research is to determine the relationship between coherence, self-efficacy, locus of control, coping and suicide ideation. A survey design was used to test the research hypotheses. The experimental group (N=287) was selected by means of an availability sample and consisted of constables, sergeants and inspectors, as well as police officers currently in training. The Orientation of Life Scale (OLQ), General Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (GSEQ), Work Locus of Control Questionnaire (WLCQ), COPE Questionnaire (COPE) and Adult Suicide Ideation Questionnaire (ASIQ) were used as measuring instruments. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, correlations, analysis of variance, multiple regression analysis and discriminant analysis were used to analyse the results. The results showed that suicide ideation is a problem in the SAPS in the North-West Province. Suicide ideation showed a relationship with low coherence, low self-efficacy, job satisfaction, the area where police officers find themselves, the effect of medical conditions and the use of more than 1 4 alcoholic drinks per week. The results show that there is no relationship between external locus of control and suicide ideation. Police officers show that they use turning towards religion and planning problem solving as coping strategies. Recommendations for future research were made in conclusion.