Impact of Police Work on Police Officers' Spouses: a Study of Marital Quality and Quality of Life

Despite reports documenting adverse effects of stress due to work on police officers' marriages, few empirical studies focus on the effect of police work on female spouses of police officers. Working as a police officer can pose numerous marital difficulties, several factors add to the marital difficulties of police officers' marriages; these include their work shift, extended hours of work, shared commitment between work and family responsibilities, and cancelled leave. Often police officers bring their work-related tension and behaviours home with them; due to these, their family relationships suffer. In this study, we explored the nature of the relationship between marital quality and quality of life in female spouses of police officers and also examined differences in marital quality and quality of life with regard to career status and years of work. Non-police female spouses of police officers (N = 207) were surveyed from different parts of Goa, the Republic of India. The participants' responses were gathered using questionnaires that assessed demographics, marital quality, and quality of life. Correlation analysis of the data revealed that marital quality and quality of life of the spouses of police officers were highly significantly and negatively correlated (r = - 0.628, p < 0.01). Results of one-way analysis of variance on marital quality indicated significant differences with regard to years of marriage. Results of the t-test indicated significant differences in quality of life with regard to years of marriage and career status.