Two faces of police stress: Spanish validation of operational and organizational PSQ scales

Introduction Police officers face multiple psychosocial risks stemming from operational and organizational aspects of their work. The Police Stress Questionnaire (PSQ) includes operational (PSQ-Op) and organizational (PSQ-Org) versions to assess these stressors. This study aimed to validate both versions in a sample of Mossos d’Esquadra, examining their factorial structure, reliability, and convergent and discriminant validity. Methods Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to examine the internal structure of the PSQ-Op and PSQ-Org. Internal consistency was evaluated using reliability indices. Convergent and discriminant validity were assessed through correlations with measures of anxiety, depression, and coping strategies. Results Both PSQ-Op and PSQ-Org showed an essentially unidimensional structure, indicating that each scale measures a coherent latent construct. Operational and organizational stress remained distinct domains. Both scales exhibited high reliability and adequate psychometric properties. Subtle gender differences were noted in the perception of specific stressors. Discussion These findings support the validity and reliability of the PSQ-Op and PSQ-Org for assessing psychosocial risks among Spanish police officers. The scales can inform interventions targeting workplace stress prevention and the promotion of organizational well-being, emphasizing the need to address operational and organizational stressors separately.