Analysis of Burnout Level of Police Officers: Evidence from Malatya, Turkey

Abstract

Burnout, a relatively new concept, is defined as feeling cold and distant about one’s job or profession due to extreme stress or low level of job satisfaction. Police profession is considered to be one of the most likely places to observe burnout for obvious reasons. There are numerous empirical studies conducted in highly stressful or dangerous professions. They find that burnout level increases with age, lower level of job satisfaction and length of service. This study investigates the current situation burnout among Turkish police officers using a sample surveyed in the province of Malatya. The study compares the stress and burnout levels of police employees with respect to their gender, position and length of service; and finds that burnout level is higher among ordinary police officers, male police employees and more experienced police employees.