Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2018 Feb;64(1):63-72.
doi: 10.1177/0020764017746197.

The effect of social support, gratitude, resilience and satisfaction with life on depressive symptoms among police officers following Hurricane Katrina

Erin C McCanlies  1 , Ja Kook Gu  1 , Michael E Andrew  1 , John M Violanti  2
Affiliations

The effect of social support, gratitude, resilience and satisfaction with life on depressive symptoms among police officers following Hurricane Katrina

Erin C McCanlies et al. Int J Soc Psychiatry. 2018 Feb.

Abstract

Background: Police officers in the New Orleans geographic area faced a number of challenges following Hurricane Katrina.

Aim: This cross-sectional study examined the effect of social support, gratitude, resilience and satisfaction with life on symptoms of depression.

Method: A total of 86 male and 30 female police officers from Louisiana participated in this study. Ordinary least-square (OLS) regression mediation analysis was used to estimate direct and indirect effects between social support, gratitude, resilience, satisfaction with life and symptoms of depression. All models were adjusted for age, alcohol intake, military experience and an increase in the number of sick days since Hurricane Katrina.

Results: Mean depressive symptom scores were 9.6 ± 9.1 for females and 10.9 ± 9.6 for males. Mediation analyses indicates that social support and gratitude are directly associated with fewer symptoms of depression. Social support also mediated the relationships between gratitude and depression, gratitude and satisfaction with life, and satisfaction with life and depression. Similarly, resilience mediated the relationship between social support and fewer symptoms of depression.

Conclusion: Social support, gratitude and resilience are associated with higher satisfaction with life and fewer symptoms of depression. Targeting and building these factors may improve an officer's ability to address symptoms of depression.

Keywords: Depression; Hurricane Katrina; gratitude; police; resilience; social support.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Model I shows the diagram of the mediator model with resilience, satisfaction with life and gratitude as potential mediators between social support and depression symptoms.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Model 2 shows the diagram of the mediator model with social support as a potential mediator between gratitude and depression symptoms.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Model 3 shows the diagram of the mediator model with social support as a potential mediator between satisfaction with life and depression symptoms.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Model 4 shows the diagram of the mediator model with social support as a potential mediator between gratitude and satisfaction with life.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Adams T, & Turner M (2014). Professional responsibilities versus familial responsibilities: an examination of role conflict among first responders during the Hurricane Katrina disaster. Journal of Emergency Management, 12(1), 45–54. doi:10.5055/jem.2014.0161 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Baum D (2006, January 9). Deluged: When Katrina hit, where were the police? The New Yorker, pp. 50–63.
    1. Berkman LF, Glass T, Brissette I, & Seeman TE (2000). From social integration to health: Durkheim in the new millennium. Social Science & Medicine, 51, 843–857. doi:10.1016/S0277-9536(00)00065-4 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Bernard BP, Driscoll RJ, Kitt M, West CA, & Tak SW (2006). Health hazard evaluation of police officers and firefighters after Hurricane Katrina-New Orleans, Louisana, October 17–28 and November 30-December 5, 2005. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 55, 456–458. - PubMed
    1. Bonanno GA (2004). Loss, trauma, and human resilience: Have we underestimated the human capacity to thrive after extremely aversive events? American Psychologist, 59(1), 20–28. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.59.1.20 - DOI - PubMed

Publication types