The link between use-of-force and burnout amongst police officers: a meta-analysis

This study presents a meta-analysis examining the association between police officers' use of force and burnout across its subdimensions: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment. Following PRISMA guidelines, we searched six databases and screened studies through a multi-stage process, resulting in 10 eligible articles ( n = 4,916). Random-effects models were used to account for substantial heterogeneity. Across all burnout subdimensions combined, there was no significant relationship with UoF ( r = 0.05, 95% CI [−0.14, 0.25]). Analyses by subdimension revealed that emotional exhaustion ( k = 7, n = 1,840; r = −0.06, 95% CI [−0.19, 0.08]) and personal accomplishment ( k = 5, n = 1,579; r = −0.04, 95% CI [−0.11, 0.03]) were not significantly associated with UoF. However, a small but significant positive association was found for depersonalization ( k = 8, n = 4,483; r = 0.21, 95% CI [0.02, 0.38], p = 0.03). Moderator analyses indicated that this relationship varied by geographic region and measurement type. The depersonalization–UoF correlation was stronger in European studies ( r = 0.35) than U.S. studies ( r = 0.06) and stronger when UoF was measured via attitudes ( r = 0.36) than actual incidents ( r = 0.08). Gender composition significantly moderated the association. In samples with a higher proportion of female officers, the relationship between UoF and depersonalization became markedly stronger. This suggests that female officers might experience greater psychological strain, in the form of depersonalization, when engaging in or endorsing UoF, potentially reflecting unique role expectations, occupational stressors, or organizational dynamics. Systematic review registration The study protocol was registered at the Open Science Framework (OSF): https://osf.io/j5t9z .