The Role of Challenge and Hindrance Work Stressors on Work Well-being Among Chinese Policemen: Mechanism and Boundary Condition

The Role of Challenge and Hindrance Work Stressors on Work Well-being Among Chinese Policemen: Mechanism and Boundary Condition | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article The Role of Challenge and Hindrance Work Stressors on Work Well-being Among Chinese Policemen: Mechanism and Boundary Condition Lun Cai, Xizheng Xu, Qiaoling Miao, Jue Deng This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-5710800/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Background : The impact of work stressors on work well-being has been a focal point of research, however, the findings to date have exhibited a degree of inconsistency. Methods : This study investigated the impact of two types of work stressors, namely, challenge work stressors and hindrance work stressors on the work well-being of Chinese police officers based on Cognitive-Transactional Theory. A total of 693 officers participated by completing assessments of work stressors, work well-being, coping strategies, and perceived social support. Results : The results showed the following: (1) both types of work stressors significantly influence work well-being, with coping strategies mediating this relationship; (2) positive coping strategy mediates the positive relation between challenge work stressors and work well-being; (3) negative coping strategy mediates the negative relation between hindrance work stressors and work well-being; (4) on the one hand, perceived social support enhanced the positive relation between positive coping strategy and work well-being, on the other hand, perceived social support buffered the negative relation between negative coping strategy and work well-being. Conclusion : These results highlight the complex mechanisms linking work stressors to work well-being in the policing profession and offer practical insights for designing targeted stress management interventions for law enforcement personnel. Work Stressors Coping Strategies Work Well-being Perceived Social Support Chinese Police Officers Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Background Policing is a profession fraught with significant occupational hazards and stressors, as officers are tasked with managing criminal activities, ensuring public safety, and facing potentially life-threatening situations [ 1 ]. With the evolution of China’s social structure, the demands and intensity of police work have escalated, and internal organizational reforms have become more pronounced [ 2 ]. Consequently, police officers are facing increasing levels of stress [ 3 – 5 ]. Excessive work stressors not only pose a direct threat to their physical and mental health but also erode their emotional connection and identification with the organization [ 6 – 8 ], leading to high turnover rates, interpersonal conflicts, and psychological issues [ 9 – 11 ]. Therefore, enhancing police officers’ overall perception of their work quality and roles, particularly in terms of WWB, has garnered growing attention from both scholars and managers. WWB is defined as feelings and pleasure that an individual experienced after attainment of individual purpose and the full realization of his/her potential at work [ 12 ]. While existing literature acknowledges work stressors as a key determinant of WWB among police officers, several critical gaps remain in our understanding. Firstly, many studies examining the relationship between work stressors and well-being have failed to distinguish between different types of stressors, resulting in inconsistent findings. Secondly, most research in this domain has focused on corporate employees, with limited attention to high-stress professions such as policing. The mechanisms through which work stressors affect WWB remain inadequately understood. Moreover, the moderating role of contextual factors, particularly perceived social support, has yet to be thoroughly explored. This gap is especially pronounced in the Chinese cultural context, where unique stress-coping dynamics may differ significantly from those identified in Western settings [ 13 ]. Investigating these unexplored areas is essential for developing culturally relevant and occupation-specific strategies to support police officers’ WWB. This study contributes to the existing literature in three ways: first, the research contributes to understanding the relationship between stressors and WWB by highlighting the mediating role of coping strategies, it unveils the underlying mechanisms of how stressors influence the WWB of Chinese police officers, distinguishing stressors into challenge-related and hindrance-related categories; second, this study explores the moderating role of perceived social support within this mechanism, providing valuable insights for developing targeted interventions aimed at enhancing police officers’ WWB; and, finally, the model proposed in this study illustrates how police officers’ positive and negative coping strategies influence their WWB, moderated by perceived social support, which offers practical insights and guidance for improving the WWB of police officers. Literature Review and Research Hypotheses The Role of Work Stressors in Work Well-being WWB is shaped by workplace stressors, which can significantly impact job satisfaction if not strategically managed [ 14 , 15 ]. The Cognitive-Transactional Theory of stress [ 16 ] offers a framework for understanding how individuals perceived and respond to workplace stressors, emphasizing two critical cognitive processes: the individual’s interpretation of the stressor’s potential impact and their perceived ability to effectively manage it. Building on this theoretical foundation, Cavanaugh et al. [ 17 ] developed the Challenge-Hindrance Stressor Framework, a model that distinguishes workplace stressors into two key categories, namely, challenge stressors and hindrance stressors, providing insights into how these stressors can either support or impede WWB. Challenge stressors are perceived as opportunities for growth and achievement [ 18 , 19 ]. Examples include tight deadlines or high workloads that, while demanding, offer prospects for learning, skill development, and career advancement. Positive appraisal of these stressors can enhance motivation and WWB by encouraging individuals to pursue higher performance and accomplishment [ 20 – 22 ]. Hindrance work stressors are viewed as obstacles to personal achievement or career progression, such as bureaucratic red tape, role ambiguity, or lack of supervisor support [ 23 – 25 ]. Generally interpreted negatively, hindrance work stressors are linked to frustration, burnout, and reduced well-being, diminishing employees’ sense of control and contributing to stress that impedes performance. The Challenge-Hindrance Stressor Framework suggests that individual perceptions and evaluations of stressors determine emotional and psychological responses [ 26 , 27 ]. While challenge work stressors (CWS) may boost work engagement and satisfaction, hindrance work stressors (HWS) tend to decrease job satisfaction and increase burnout [ 28 , 29 ]. Empirical investigations spanning diverse cultural contexts and professional domains substantiate these theoretical propositions [ 30 , 31 ]. In a examination of workplace dynamics, Widmer et al. [ 32 ] conducted a longitudinal study involving 163 employees across Swiss organizations. Their findings demonstrated that moderate CWS do not uniformly impair individual well-being. On the contrary, such stressors may serve as catalysts for psychological growth, potentially enhancing self-esteem and fostering a more adaptive life orientation. Building upon Challenge-Hindrance Stressor Framework, Kern et al. [ 33 ] extended the conceptual framework by exploring the intricate relationship between social CWS and professional outcomes. Their research uncovered a significant positive correlation between social CWS and critical workplace indicators, including professional efficacy, job satisfaction, and work engagement. These findings demonstrating that CWS can potentially facilitate WWB [ 34 ], whereas hindrance work stressors systematically obstruct professional growth. Based on the above theoretical arguments and empirical studies, we propose the following hypotheses: H1a: CWS are positively related to police officers’ WWB. H1b: HWS are negatively related to police officers’ WWB. The Mechanisms of Work Stressors Influencing Work Well-being According to Cognitive-Transactional Theory, individuals undergo primary and secondary appraisals when confronted with stressors. During primary appraisal, they assess the significance and potential threat of these stressors. Secondary appraisal involves evaluating whether they have the necessary resources or capabilities to manage the stressors [ 35 ]. These evaluations directly inform the selection of coping strategies. For example, if a stressor is perceived as controllable, such as a task with clear objectives, individuals tend to adopt problem-focused coping strategies. On the other hand, if a stressor is seen as uncontrollable, like emotional conflicts stemming from organizational culture, they may opt for emotion-focuses coping. Consequently, the nature of the stressor dictates the coping strategies employed, which in turn influence the outcomes experienced. Extensively empirical researches support this view [ 36 – 38 ]. Meta-analytic study also reveals that challenge and hindrance stressors distinctly impact workplace performance through different mechanisms including copying strategies [ 39 ]. Although both coping strategies exhibit complex outcomes, demonstrating dual positive and negative characteristics, emotion-focused coping strategies can also potentially yield positive effects. However, in this study, we will solely focus on two specific dimensions: positive coping and planning within problem-focused strategies, and avoidance and denial within emotion-focused strategies. These four strategies are representative and emblematic of typical positive and negative coping strategies, capturing the essential variations in individual stress response patterns. Based on this theoretical and empirical foundation the current study hypothesizes the following: H2a: positive coping strategies positively mediates the relationship between police officers’ CWS and WWB. H2b: negative coping strategies negatively mediates the relationship between police officers’ HWS and WWB. Moderate Effect of Perceived Social Support Cognitive-Transactional Theory also highlights the importance of the interaction between the individual and their environment in determining stress outcomes. Perceived social support is one of the most important environmental factors. According to social enhancement hypothesis [ 40 ], perceived social support can serve as a moderator in the relationship between coping styles and WWB. By enhancing individuals' coping resources and reframing the perception of workplace stressors, perceived social support fundamentally transforms how employees manage and respond to occupational challenges. In high-stress environments like policing, perceived social support from colleagues, family, and friends acts as a protective buffer against emotional and psychological strain. This moderating effect is particularly significant in Chinese cultural contexts, where family support is deeply valued as a primary stress management resource [ 41 ]. Empirical research substantiates this moderating role. Studies by Burke et al. [ 42 ] and Karasek and Theorell [ 43 ] demonstrate that perceived social support can substantially mitigate the negative psychological impacts of work stress. By providing emotional resources and alternative perspectives, perceived social support enables individuals to more effectively navigate and interpret workplace stressors [ 44 ], thereby influencing the relationship between coping strategies and overall WWB. Based on above evidence, the study proposes the following hypotheses: H3a: Perceived social support moderates the relationship between police officers' positive coping strategies and WWB. Specifically, the association between positive coping strategies and WWB is stronger among individuals with high levels of perceived social support compared to those with low levels of perceived social support. H3b: Perceived social support moderates the relationship between police officers' negative coping strategies and WWB. Specifically, the negative impact of negative coping strategies on WWB is weaker among individuals with high levels of perceived social support compared to those with low levels of perceived social support. The Current Research Taken together, the main purposes of the current study were as follows. First, to examine the relationship between two kinds of stressors and WWB among Chinese police officers. Second, to examine whether coping strategies would mediate the relation between work stressors and WWB. Finally, to examine whether perceived social support would moderate the relation between coping strategies and WWB. The hypotheses frame is illustrated (Fig. 1 ). Methods Participants A total of 693 police officer (85% male) took part in this survey. The participants were recruited from three provinces in China. The mean age of the participants was 36.80 years ( SD = 2.74, range = 22–50 years). The participants were surveyed on various factors, including demographic variables. All participants provided written informed consent prior to study participation. The research purpose, procedures, potential risks, and benefits were fully explained, and participants were informed of their right to withdraw at any time without penalty.The study protocol was approved by Fujian Police College Institutional Review Board (IRB), and the research was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. The Measure of Work Stressors This study utilized the time stress and leader-subordinate conflict subscales from the interpersonal conflict scale to operationalize challenge and hindrance work stressors. The time stress measure, adapted from Maruping et al. [ 45 ], consists of four items designed to capture work-related temporal pressures. A representative item reads: "The requirement to complete tasks on time often creates significant stress for me." Similarly, the leader-subordinate conflict subscale, developed by Liu et al. [ 46 ], comprises four items assessing workplace relational tensions. An exemplar item probes: "How frequently do you have conflicts with your supervisor at work?" Participants responded using a 1–6 Likert scale, ranging from "Never" (1) to "Always" (6). In this study, the scale demonstrated robust reliability (Cronbach's α = 0.92) and validity indices, with confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) results indicating acceptable model fit: CFI = 0.93, TLI = 0.92, RMSEA = 0.06, SRMR = 0.04. The Measure of WWB WWB was assessed using a 6-item questionnaire by Zheng et al. [ 47 ]. A representative item was: "Overall, I am very satisfied with the work I do." Participants rated each item on a five-point Likert scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree), with higher scores indicating greater WWB. The scale demonstrated good internal consistency, with a Cronbach's α of 0.83 in this study. The CFA results indicating acceptable model fit: CFI = 0.90, TLI = 0.90, RMSEA = 0.06, SRMR = 0.06. The Measure of Perceived Social Support The study employed the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) to measure perceived social support [ 48 ]. The 12-item scale assessed support from two primary sources: Family and Friends. Participants rated each item on a 6-point scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 6 (strongly agree), with higher scores indicating greater perceived social support. The scale demonstrated good internal consistency, with a Cronbach's α of 0.82 in this study. The CFA results indicating good model fit: CFI = 0.94, TLI = 0.92, RMSEA = 0.05, SRMR = 0.03. The Measure of Coping Strategies Coping strategies are assessed using a revised version of the COPE Inventory, originally developed by Carver et al. [ 49 ]. This instrument utilizes a 6-point Likert scale to measure the extent to which each statement reflects the respondent's experience. The abbreviated version of the inventory consists of four subscales: active problem-solving, passive problem-solving, seeking support, and distraction, totaling 27 items. For this study, we selected the subscales of Active Problem-Solving and Plan dimensions (e.g., “I take additional action to try to get rid of the problem”) as measure of positive coping strategies, and avoidance and denial dimensions (e.g., “I refuse to believe that it has happened”) as measures of negative coping strategies. The modified scale includes 16 items. The scale demonstrated good internal consistency with a Cronbach's α of 0.85 in this study. The CFA results indicating good model fit: CFI = 0.91, TLI = 0.91, RMSEA = 0.06, SRMR = 0.05. Control Variables The study received ethical approval from the Institutional Review Board of the first author's university. Key ethical considerations included: Obtaining informed consent from participants and their supervisors; Anonymous survey administration by trained postgraduate students; Assuring response confidentiality and integrity. The survey was designed using Questionnaire Star, which enforces mandatory responses. Consequently, the dataset contains no missing values, as participants were required to complete all items before submission. Results Preliminary Analyses To address potential common method bias, the study conducted Harman's single-factor test. The analysis revealed that the first principal component explained 17.21% of the total variance before rotation-significantly below the 40% threshold. This finding suggests that common method bias does not pose a substantial concern in this research. Table 1 Descriptive statistics of the variables. Variables M SD 1 2 3 4 5 1 CWS 3.40 0.83 — 2 HWS 3.12 0.79 .04 — 3 positive coping strategy 4.02 0.80 .34*** − .08* — 4 negative coping strategy 4.38 0.65 − .09 .18** .23*** — 5 perceived social support 2.87 0.73 .06 .05 .22*** − .13* — 6 WWB 4.06 0.89 .32*** − .28*** .33*** − .42*** .48*** 1 Note. * p < .05. *** p < .001. The means, standard deviations, and zero-order correlations for all the variables in the study were presented (Table 1 ). As hypothesized, higher work stress was associated with lower WWB among police officers. Additionally, officers with higher levels of perceived social support reported higher WWB. Furthermore, problem-focused coping was positively correlated with WWB, whereas emotion-focused coping showed a negative correlation with WWB. These preliminary findings support the idea that work stress, perceived social support, and coping strategies are significant factors influencing WWB. Test of the Mediation Model of Coping Strategies To examine the mediating role of coping strategies in the relationship between work stressors and WWB, we conducted a mediation analysis using the bruceR package in R language [ 50 , 51 ]. Table 2 Significant paths included in model. Path ES SE z Boot 95% CI CWS → WWB 0.260 0.035 7.352*** [0.187, 0.332] HWS → WWB -0.277 0.033 -8.337*** [-0.342, -0.214] Positive coping strategy → WWB 0.170 0.037 4.641*** [0.097, 0.245] Negative coping strategy → WWB -0.434 0.040 -10.786*** [-0.486, -0.351] Perceived social support → WWB 0.585 0.041 14.425*** [0.497, 0.663] Perceived social support*positive coping strategy → WWB 0.527 0.038 13.936*** [0.433, 0.613] Perceived social support*negative coping strategy → WWB 0.550 0.036 15.573*** [0.465, 0.631] CWS → positive coping strategy → WWB 0.056 0.013 4.173*** [0.032, 0.083] HWS → negative coping strategy → WWB -0.064 0.015 -4.404*** [-0.099, -0.035] * Note: ES = effect size; The Boot 95% CI represents 95% confidence interval that was derived from 5,000 bootstrap samples. The significant paths included in model are showed (Table 2 ). The analysis revealed significant direct effects on WWB. CWS positively influenced WWB (β = 0.260, p < .001), while HWS had a negative impact (β = -0.277, p < .001). Both positive coping strategy (β = 0.278, p < .001) and perceived social support (β = 0.585, p < .001) were positively associated with WWB. Conversely, negative coping strategy was significantly negatively related to WWB (β = -434, p < .001). Mediation analyses indicated that CWS indirectly affected WWB through positive coping strategy (effect size = 0.056, p < .001), and HWS indirectly affected WWB through negative coping strategy (effect size = -0.064, p < .001). Test of the Moderation Model of Perceived Social Support To examine the moderating role of perceived social support in the relationship between positive coping strategy, negative coping strategy and WWB, we conducted a moderated mediate analysis. Interaction effects were also observed. The interaction of perceived social support and positive coping strategy had a significant positive effect on WWB (β = 0.527, p < .001), as did the interaction between perceived social support and negative coping strategy (β = 0.550, p < .001). The moderating role of perceived social support on the association between CWS (likely a predictor) and WWB (likely an outcome). The x-axis represents the levels of perceived social support, while the y-axis shows the slope of the CWS-WWB relationship. The blue shaded area (Fig. 2 ) indicates where the relationship between CWS and WWB is statistically significant ( p < .05). This occurs when perceived social support is greater than approximately − 2.42 or less than approximately − 0.47. Correspondingly, the pink shaded area represents the region where the relationship is not statistically significant. From the Fig. 1 , we can see that the association between CWS and WWB was significantly positive as the perceived social support level exceeded − 0.47, indicating that higher perceived social support enhanced the positive impact of CWS on WWB. Conversely, when perceived social support was low, the relationship weakened or became insignificant. Therefore, we can conclude that perceived social support plays a moderating role in the relationship between CWS and WWB. The positive impact of CWS on WWB becomes stronger when the level of perceived social support is high, and decreases or disappears when the level of perceived social support is low. This suggests that perceived social support plays a key role in enhancing the positive impact of CWS on WWB. The moderating role of perceived social support between HWS and WWB is showed (Fig. 3 ). From the graph we can see that HWS and WWB show statistical significance in the blue shaded area. This significance occurs when the perceived social support level is below about 1.62, HWS and WWB were not statistically significant in the pink area, specifically, when the perceived social support level was above 1.62, the relationship became insignificant. With the increase of perceived social support level, the negative correlation between HWS and WWB gradually weakened (slope toward 0). When the level of perceived social support was lower (below 1.62), the negative correlation was significant. It can be inferred that perceived social support regulates the relationship between HWS and WWB. At lower levels of perceived social support, HWS has a significant negative impact on WWB, while at higher levels of perceived social support, this negative correlation gradually disappears. This indicates that perceived social support plays an important role in alleviating HWS on the negative impact of WWB. Discussion Work-related stress is a well-established contributor to WWB, particularly in high-risk professions like policing. In this study, we aimed to explore the relationship between work stress and WWB among Chinese police officers, a group that regularly faces unique stressors, such as physical danger, public scrutiny, and role ambiguity. As expected, work stress was negatively associated with WWB, supporting a large body of literature suggesting that stressors in the workplace can lead to significant psychological strain [ 52 , 53 ]. In high-stress environments, such as law enforcement, the psychological burden can lead to decreased WWB, impairing an individual’s emotional well-being, decision-making, and overall job performance. The present findings reinforce these conclusions by demonstrating that work stress significantly predicts WWB in police officers, highlighting the critical need to address stress management within this profession. However, the relationship between work stress and WWB is not straightforward and can be influenced by various personal and environmental factors. Our findings suggest that coping strategies, perceived social support, and mental health conditions, such as depression, can alter this relationship in important ways, which we will discuss further. The Mediating Role of Coping Strategies This study also aimed to understand the mechanisms through which work stress influences WWB. Our findings revealed that coping strategies play a significant mediating role in this relationship. Specifically, problem-focused coping acted as a protective factor, reducing the negative impact of work stress on WWB, while emotion-focused coping exacerbated the relationship. These results align with previous research suggesting that individuals who engage in problem-focused coping are better equipped to manage stress by addressing the source of the stress directly. On the other hand, emotion-focused coping, such as avoidance or denial, tends to increase the emotional burden and decrease WWB. This highlights the importance of promoting adaptive coping strategies, such as problem-solving and seeking support, to help police officers better manage work-related stress and improve WWB. The mediation model also underscores the critical role of individual coping tendencies in determining psychological outcomes. This finding suggests that coping strategies not only help officers handle work stress more effectively but also influence the intensity of WWB experienced in response to stress. These insights are valuable for designing stress-management interventions targeted at improving coping skills in high-stress occupations like policing. The Moderating Role of Perceived Social Support We found the moderating role of perceived social support in the relationship between coping strategies and WWB, particularly in the high-stress occupational context of police work. Consistent with the buffering hypothesis of perceived social support, the findings demonstrate that perceived social support strengthens the positive impact of adaptive coping strategies on WWB while mitigating the negative effects of maladaptive coping strategies. These results align with established theories such as the Cognitive-Transactional Theory of Stress and the Challenge-Hindrance Stressor Framework, while offering novel insights into their application in occupational settings characterized by heightened psychological demands. Unlike earlier studies, which have predominantly focused on direct effects, this research underscores the dynamic interplay between perceived social support and coping strategies, emphasizing the importance of tailoring interventions to the specific challenges faced by police officers. The moderating effect of perceived social support can be understood through resource augmentation, emotional regulation, and social identity. Perceived social support provides access to material and emotional resources, alleviates negative emotions, and fosters a sense of belonging, which together enhance individuals’ capacity to cope with stress and maintain well-being. The findings also contribute to the growing body of literature emphasizing the contextual relevance of perceived social support, particularly its role in enhancing resilience and psychological stability in high-stress work environments by integrating individual and social factors. Limitations and Future Research Despite its contributions, this study has several limitations. First, the cross-sectional design limits causal inferences. Future studies using longitudinal or experimental designs could help establish the directionality of the relationships between work stressors, coping strategies, perceived social support, and WWB. Second, the reliance on self-reported data may introduce biases. Incorporating data from multiple sources, such as supervisors, peers, and family members, could provide a more comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing WWB in police officers. Third, the findings from this study, based on samples collected from several provinces in China, may not fully represent the experiences of police officers across the entire country. Regional variations in socioeconomic conditions, organizational structures, and cultural nuances could influence the generalizability of the results. Future research should replicate this study in different countries or professions to explore the universality of these findings. Conclusions In summary, this study highlights that two distinct types of work stressors, namely CWS and HWS, are each significantly associated with WWB among Chinese police officers. To be specific, CWS have positive relation with WWB, while HWS have negative relation with WWB. Moreover, coping strategies play a mediating role in this relationship. While perceived social support generally serves as a buffer and accelerator. Specifically, it can exacerbated the positive relationship between CWS and WWB in our study, and can also buffer the negative relation between hindrance stressor and WWB. These findings emphasize the complexity of how various factors interact to influence WWB of police officers and provide valuable insights for future interventions and research. Declarations Competing interests The authors declare they have no competing interests. Authors' contributions Developed the research concept studies and drafted the manuscript, L.C. X. X performed testing and data collection; Q. M and X.X. conducted the data analysis. X. X and J.D edited and supervised the manuscript. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript. Acknowledgements None. Data Availability Statement The data presented in this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to privacy. Founding Education and Research Project for Yong Teachers in Fujian Province (grant number JAT220234). References Ugwu LE, Idemudia ES. (2024). Burnout and Post-traumatic Stress Disorders in Police Officers: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. J Police Criminal Psychol, 1–14. Zhou S, Li M, Chen S, Jiang D, Qu Y, Xu X. Work pressure, coping styles and occupational burnout among Chinese police officers: a meta-analytic review. BMC Psychol. 2024;12(1):275. Shane JM. Organizational stressors and police performance. J criminal justice. 2010;38(4):807–18. Dong M, Ren Z, Li Y, Ye Q. (2024). Stress begets distress: the association of job stress with psychological distress among prison police officers. Psychol Crime Law, 1–19. Xu J, Wang X, Sun G. Sacrifice spirit and police work-family conflict among rank-and-file officers in China. Polic Soc. 2024;34(3):183–99. DeVylder J, Fedina L, Link B. Impact of police violence on mental health: A theoretical framework. Am J Public Health. 2020;110(11):1704–10. Bhowmick S, Mulla Z. Who gets burnout and when? The role of personality, job control, and organizational identification in predicting burnout among police officers. J police criminal Psychol. 2021;36(2):243–55. Jiang Z. Cross-level effects of diversity climate on employee organizational identification: Evidence from law enforcement units. Public Perform Manage Rev. 2024;47(1):56–88. Wang Y, Zheng L, Hu T, Zheng Q. Stress, burnout, and job satisfaction: Case of police force in China. Public personnel Manage. 2014;43(3):325–39. Li JC, Cheung CK, Sun IY, Cheung YK, Zhu S. Work–family conflicts, stress, and turnover intention among Hong Kong police officers amid the covid-19 pandemic. Police Q. 2022;25(3):281–309. Ha SV, Sun IY, Wu Y, Chen Y. Gender differences in Chinese policing: Supervisor support, wellbeing, and turnover intention. Policing: J Policy Pract. 2024;18:paae028. Zou Q, Zou B. Happiness at work: Definition, measurement levels and causal models. Adv Psychol Sci. 2015;23(4):669. Haarr RN, Morash M. Gender, race, and strategies of coping with occupational stress in policing. Justice Q. 1999;16(2):303–36. Ndero P, Kimamo C, Mwaura L. Psychological Well-Being and Job Satisfaction of Kenyan Police Officers. Int J Psychol. 2024;9(1):6–21. Lin PY, Tseng P, Liang WM, Lin WY, Cheng YP, Kuo HW. The mediating effect of health behaviors on the association between job strain and mental health outcome: a national survey of police officers. Sci Rep. 2024;14(1):10015. Lazarus RS, Folkman S. Stress, appraisal, and coping. New York, NY: Springer; 1984. Cavanaugh MA, Boswell WR, Roehling MV, Boudreau JW. An empirical examination of self-reported work stress among US managers. J Appl Psychol. 2000;85(1):65. LePine MA. The challenge-hindrance stressor framework: an integrative conceptual review and path forward. Group Organ Manage. 2022;47(2):223–54. Pindek S, Meyer K, Valvo A, Arvan M. (2024). A Dynamic View of the Challenge-Hindrance Stressor Framework: a Meta-Analysis of Daily Diary Studies. J Bus Psychol, 1–19. Performance appraisal satisfaction. and employee outcomes: mediating and moderating roles of work motivation. Int J Hum Resource Manage, 17 (3), 504–22. Wallace JC, Edwards BD, Arnold T, Frazier ML, Finch DM. Work stressors, role-based performance, and the moderating influence of organizational support. J Appl Psychol. 2009;94(1):254. Baethge A, Menhardt AK, Frontzkowski Y, Schilbach M. Two sides of the same coin: motivating and demotivating mediation paths of time pressure and their relationship with strain. Anxiety Stress Coping. 2024;37(1):86–99. Podsakoff NP, Freiburger KJ, Podsakoff PM, Rosen CC. Laying the foundation for the challenge–hindrance stressor framework 2.0. Annual Rev organizational Psychol organizational Behav. 2023;10(1):165–99. Horan KA, Nakahara WH, DiStaso MJ, Jex SM. A review of the challenge-hindrance stress model: Recent advances, expanded paradigms, and recommendations for future research. Front Psychol. 2020;11:560346. Dawson KM, O'Brien KE, Beehr TA. The role of hindrance stressors in the job demand–control–support model of occupational stress: A proposed theory revision. J organizational Behav. 2016;37(3):397–415. Mazzola JJ, Disselhorst R. Should we be challenging employees? A critical review and meta-analysis of the challenge‐hindrance model of stress. J Organizational Behav. 2019;40(8):949–61. Crane MF, Searle BJ. Building resilience through exposure to stressors: The effects of challenges versus hindrances. J Occup Health Psychol. 2016;21(4):468. Orgambídez A, Extremera N. Understanding the link between work engagement and job satisfaction: Do role stressors underlie this relationship? Scand J Psychol. 2020;61(3):443–9. Kim H, Shin K, Hwang J. Too much may be a bad thing: the difference between challenge and hindrance job demands. Curr Psychol. 2024;43(7):6180–92. Manrai LA, Manrai AK, Lascu D, Friedeborn S. Determinants and effects of cultural context: A review, conceptual model, and propositions. J Global Mark. 2019;32(2):67–82. Shirish A, Srivastava SC, Boughzala I. Contextualizing team adaptation for fostering creative outcomes in multicultural Virtual teams: a mixed methods approach. J Association Inform Syst. 2023;24(3):700–44. Widmer PS, Semmer NK, Kälin W, Jacobshagen N, Meier LL. The ambivalence of CWS: Time pressure associated with both negative and positive well-being. J Vocat Behav. 2012;80(2):422–33. Kern M, Heissler C, Zapf D. Social job stressors can foster employee well-being: Introducing the concept of social CWS. J Bus Psychol. 2021;36(5):771–92. Sonnentag S, Tay L, Nesher Shoshan H. A review on health and well-being at work: More than stressors and strains. Pers Psychol. 2023;76(2):473–510. Ren F, Zhang J. Job stressors, organizational innovation climate, and employees’innovative behavior. Creativity Res J. 2015;27(1):16–23. Boyd NG, Lewin JE, Sager JK. A model of stress and coping and their influence on individual and organizational outcomes. J Vocat Behav. 2009;75(2):197–211. Chao RCL. Managing stress and maintaining well-being: Social support, problem‐focused coping, and avoidant coping. J Couns Dev. 2011;89(3):338–48. Liem A, Renzaho AM, Hannam K, Lam AI, Hall BJ. Acculturative stress and coping among migrant workers: A global mixed-methods systematic review. Appl Psychology: Health Well‐Being. 2021;13(3):491–517. LePine JA, Podsakoff NP, LePine MA. A meta-analytic test of the CWS–hindrance stressor framework: An explanation for inconsistent relationships among stressors and performance. Acad Manag J. 2005;48(5):764–75. Chen GM. Revisiting the social enhancement hypothesis: Extroversion indirectly predicts number of Facebook friends operating through Facebook usage. Comput Hum Behav. 2014;39:263–9. Li C, Jiang S, Li N, Zhang Q. Influence of social participation on life satisfaction and depression among Chinese elderly: Social support as a mediator. J community Psychol. 2018;46(3):345–55. Burke CK, Maton KI, Mankowski ES, Anderson C. Healing men and community: Predictors of outcome in a men’s initiatory and support organization. Am J Community Psychol. 2010;45:186–200. Karasek RA, Theorell T. Healthy work. New York: Basic Books; 1990. Sajjadiani S, Daniels MA, Huang HC. The social process of coping with work-related stressors online: A machine learning and interpretive data science approach. Pers Psychol. 2024;77(2):321–73. Maruping LM, Venkatesh V, Thatcher SMB, et al. Folding under stress or rising to the occasion? Perceived time stress and the moderating role of team temporal leadership. Acad Manag J. 2015;58(5):1313–33. Liu C, Specter PE, Shi L. Cross-national job stress: A quantitative and qualitative study. J Organizational Behav. 2007;28(2):209–39. Zheng XM, Zhu WC, Zhao HX, et al. Employee well-being in organizations: Theoretical model, scale development, and cross-cultural validation. J Organizational Behav. 2015;36(5):621–44. Zimet GD, Dahlem NW, Zimet SG, Farley GK. The multidimensional scale of perceived social support. J Pers Assess. 1988;52(1):30–41. Carver CS, Scheier MF, Weintraub JK. Assessing coping strategies: a theoretically based approach. J Personal Soc Psychol. 1989;56(2):267. Bao H. (2024). bruceR: Broadly Useful Convenient and Efficient R Functions. R package version 2024.6 , https://psychbruce.github.io/bruceR/ (2024). R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing , Vienna, Austria. R Core Team, <. https://www.R-project.org/ Violanti JM, Ma CC, Mnatsakanova A, Fekedulegn D, Hartley TA, Gu JK, Andrew ME. Associations between police work stressors and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms: Examining the moderating effects of coping. J police criminal Psychol. 2018;33:271–82. Anderson SF, Salk RH, Hyde JS. Stress in romantic relationships and adolescent depressive symptoms: Influence of parental support. J Fam Psychol. 2015;29(3):339. Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files Tables.docx ethicsreveiw1.jpg file.docx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-5710800","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":398267490,"identity":"b7a1fb96-5937-4114-9d3d-57ee3b769bb8","order_by":0,"name":"Lun Cai","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Hunan Police Academy","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Lun","middleName":"","lastName":"Cai","suffix":""},{"id":398267491,"identity":"82d34e08-96af-4990-b8ea-1cdd2a234cbe","order_by":1,"name":"Xizheng Xu","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA20lEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBACAwaGBDCDXwIiwNhAtBbJGSRogTJuEKvFXLrhmTRv22F749u9xx78YLCR3XCA+dkDfFos5xxIk5zZlsZsdudcumEPQ5rxhgNs5gb4tBjcSEiT+Nhmw2Z2I8dMgofhcOKGAzxsEgS1JLZJ8BjPyDGT/MPwn0gtQFskDCRyzKR5GA4QpSXZcsa5NAOJGznmxjIGycYzD7OZEdCSk3ibp+ywPT/QYQ/fVNjJ9h1vfoZXCwMDTwpMARskmpjxqwcC9sMfEFpGwSgYBaNgFGABAE2KRuQG8s6bAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"","institution":"Hunan Police Academy","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Xizheng","middleName":"","lastName":"Xu","suffix":""},{"id":398267492,"identity":"f9874af9-936e-49b6-abb3-e037086ed92e","order_by":2,"name":"Qiaoling Miao","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Central China Normal University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Qiaoling","middleName":"","lastName":"Miao","suffix":""},{"id":398267493,"identity":"f7a5bfe4-bdf1-450f-8464-bf70f005b366","order_by":3,"name":"Jue Deng","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Fujian Police College","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Jue","middleName":"","lastName":"Deng","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2024-12-25 11:08:04","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-5710800/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-5710800/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":73306706,"identity":"8934be12-49f3-40f6-ae8d-58038d7a59f2","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-01-08 17:11:32","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":81980,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eStudy Framework of Work Stressors, Coping Strategies, Perceived Social Support and WWB.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"Figure1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-5710800/v1/7e9944f06e21e367ba6b4ca4.png"},{"id":73307500,"identity":"4ee4e3a3-fc72-4b1d-8751-f00fe1facb2c","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-01-08 17:27:32","extension":"png","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":61284,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eThe moderate role of social support on CWS-WWB association.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"figure2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-5710800/v1/cb189fe21353e3124b6c5c1d.png"},{"id":73306717,"identity":"26a6591d-fe7a-4b43-bca7-f3f5aa58ce53","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-01-08 17:11:32","extension":"png","order_by":3,"title":"Figure 3","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":58382,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eThe moderate role of social support on HWS-WWB association.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"figure3.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-5710800/v1/d93facfc0e09d8560ddc607e.png"},{"id":104880859,"identity":"c87114b6-629c-4388-9997-c244f1b5b423","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-03-18 09:14:00","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":960797,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-5710800/v1/58e31ce5-1540-42d5-9f59-02149f3817c3.pdf"},{"id":73308232,"identity":"2a18efe4-bac4-49ae-8cf9-d73eb0d5e334","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-01-08 17:35:32","extension":"docx","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":14443,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Tables.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-5710800/v1/c829795f31ad2ebd3a042152.docx"},{"id":73306713,"identity":"22815b66-e10b-4723-806c-d1fc75f47c7d","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-01-08 17:11:32","extension":"jpg","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":2098246,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"ethicsreveiw1.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-5710800/v1/13781cf5603e8cf797a66651.jpg"},{"id":73308910,"identity":"4a28b02b-d5c2-44b5-a253-59207aebd5d7","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-01-08 17:43:32","extension":"docx","order_by":2,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":14060,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"file.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-5710800/v1/994a737bebd138bf657d839d.docx"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"The Role of Challenge and Hindrance Work Stressors on Work Well-being Among Chinese Policemen: Mechanism and Boundary Condition","fulltext":[{"header":"Background","content":"\u003cp\u003ePolicing is a profession fraught with significant occupational hazards and stressors, as officers are tasked with managing criminal activities, ensuring public safety, and facing potentially life-threatening situations [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e]. With the evolution of China\u0026rsquo;s social structure, the demands and intensity of police work have escalated, and internal organizational reforms have become more pronounced [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e]. Consequently, police officers are facing increasing levels of stress [\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR4\" citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e]. Excessive work stressors not only pose a direct threat to their physical and mental health but also erode their emotional connection and identification with the organization [\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR7\" citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e], leading to high turnover rates, interpersonal conflicts, and psychological issues [\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR10\" citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e]. Therefore, enhancing police officers\u0026rsquo; overall perception of their work quality and roles, particularly in terms of WWB, has garnered growing attention from both scholars and managers.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWWB is defined as feelings and pleasure that an individual experienced after attainment of individual purpose and the full realization of his/her potential at work [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e]. While existing literature acknowledges work stressors as a key determinant of WWB among police officers, several critical gaps remain in our understanding. Firstly, many studies examining the relationship between work stressors and well-being have failed to distinguish between different types of stressors, resulting in inconsistent findings. Secondly, most research in this domain has focused on corporate employees, with limited attention to high-stress professions such as policing. The mechanisms through which work stressors affect WWB remain inadequately understood. Moreover, the moderating role of contextual factors, particularly perceived social support, has yet to be thoroughly explored. This gap is especially pronounced in the Chinese cultural context, where unique stress-coping dynamics may differ significantly from those identified in Western settings [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e]. Investigating these unexplored areas is essential for developing culturally relevant and occupation-specific strategies to support police officers\u0026rsquo; WWB.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis study contributes to the existing literature in three ways: first, the research contributes to understanding the relationship between stressors and WWB by highlighting the mediating role of coping strategies, it unveils the underlying mechanisms of how stressors influence the WWB of Chinese police officers, distinguishing stressors into challenge-related and hindrance-related categories; second, this study explores the moderating role of perceived social support within this mechanism, providing valuable insights for developing targeted interventions aimed at enhancing police officers\u0026rsquo; WWB; and, finally, the model proposed in this study illustrates how police officers\u0026rsquo; positive and negative coping strategies influence their WWB, moderated by perceived social support, which offers practical insights and guidance for improving the WWB of police officers.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Literature Review and Research Hypotheses","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eThe Role of Work Stressors in Work Well-being\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eWWB is shaped by workplace stressors, which can significantly impact job satisfaction if not strategically managed [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e]. The Cognitive-Transactional Theory of stress [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e16\u003c/span\u003e] offers a framework for understanding how individuals perceived and respond to workplace stressors, emphasizing two critical cognitive processes: the individual\u0026rsquo;s interpretation of the stressor\u0026rsquo;s potential impact and their perceived ability to effectively manage it. Building on this theoretical foundation, Cavanaugh et al. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e17\u003c/span\u003e] developed the Challenge-Hindrance Stressor Framework, a model that distinguishes workplace stressors into two key categories, namely, challenge stressors and hindrance stressors, providing insights into how these stressors can either support or impede WWB. Challenge stressors are perceived as opportunities for growth and achievement [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e19\u003c/span\u003e]. Examples include tight deadlines or high workloads that, while demanding, offer prospects for learning, skill development, and career advancement. Positive appraisal of these stressors can enhance motivation and WWB by encouraging individuals to pursue higher performance and accomplishment [\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR21\" citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e20\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e22\u003c/span\u003e]. Hindrance work stressors are viewed as obstacles to personal achievement or career progression, such as bureaucratic red tape, role ambiguity, or lack of supervisor support [\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR24\" citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e23\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e25\u003c/span\u003e]. Generally interpreted negatively, hindrance work stressors are linked to frustration, burnout, and reduced well-being, diminishing employees\u0026rsquo; sense of control and contributing to stress that impedes performance. The Challenge-Hindrance Stressor Framework suggests that individual perceptions and evaluations of stressors determine emotional and psychological responses [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e26\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e27\u003c/span\u003e]. While challenge work stressors (CWS) may boost work engagement and satisfaction, hindrance work stressors (HWS) tend to decrease job satisfaction and increase burnout [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e28\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e29\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eEmpirical investigations spanning diverse cultural contexts and professional domains substantiate these theoretical propositions [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e30\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e31\u003c/span\u003e]. In a examination of workplace dynamics, Widmer et al. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e32\u003c/span\u003e] conducted a longitudinal study involving 163 employees across Swiss organizations. Their findings demonstrated that moderate CWS do not uniformly impair individual well-being. On the contrary, such stressors may serve as catalysts for psychological growth, potentially enhancing self-esteem and fostering a more adaptive life orientation. Building upon Challenge-Hindrance Stressor Framework, Kern et al. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e33\u003c/span\u003e] extended the conceptual framework by exploring the intricate relationship between social CWS and professional outcomes. Their research uncovered a significant positive correlation between social CWS and critical workplace indicators, including professional efficacy, job satisfaction, and work engagement. These findings demonstrating that CWS can potentially facilitate WWB [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR34\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e34\u003c/span\u003e], whereas hindrance work stressors systematically obstruct professional growth.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBased on the above theoretical arguments and empirical studies, we propose the following hypotheses:\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eH1a: CWS are positively related to police officers\u0026rsquo; WWB.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eH1b: HWS are negatively related to police officers\u0026rsquo; WWB.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe Mechanisms of Work Stressors Influencing Work Well-being\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAccording to Cognitive-Transactional Theory, individuals undergo primary and secondary appraisals when confronted with stressors. During primary appraisal, they assess the significance and potential threat of these stressors. Secondary appraisal involves evaluating whether they have the necessary resources or capabilities to manage the stressors [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e35\u003c/span\u003e]. These evaluations directly inform the selection of coping strategies. For example, if a stressor is perceived as controllable, such as a task with clear objectives, individuals tend to adopt problem-focused coping strategies. On the other hand, if a stressor is seen as uncontrollable, like emotional conflicts stemming from organizational culture, they may opt for emotion-focuses coping. Consequently, the nature of the stressor dictates the coping strategies employed, which in turn influence the outcomes experienced. Extensively empirical researches support this view [\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR37\" citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e36\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR38\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e38\u003c/span\u003e]. Meta-analytic study also reveals that challenge and hindrance stressors distinctly impact workplace performance through different mechanisms including copying strategies [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR39\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e39\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAlthough both coping strategies exhibit complex outcomes, demonstrating dual positive and negative characteristics, emotion-focused coping strategies can also potentially yield positive effects. However, in this study, we will solely focus on two specific dimensions: positive coping and planning within problem-focused strategies, and avoidance and denial within emotion-focused strategies. These four strategies are representative and emblematic of typical positive and negative coping strategies, capturing the essential variations in individual stress response patterns.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBased on this theoretical and empirical foundation the current study hypothesizes the following:\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eH2a: positive coping strategies positively mediates the relationship between police officers\u0026rsquo; CWS and WWB.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eH2b: negative coping strategies negatively mediates the relationship between police officers\u0026rsquo; HWS and WWB.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eModerate Effect of Perceived Social Support\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCognitive-Transactional Theory also highlights the importance of the interaction between the individual and their environment in determining stress outcomes. Perceived social support is one of the most important environmental factors. According to social enhancement hypothesis [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR40\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e40\u003c/span\u003e], perceived social support can serve as a moderator in the relationship between coping styles and WWB. By enhancing individuals' coping resources and reframing the perception of workplace stressors, perceived social support fundamentally transforms how employees manage and respond to occupational challenges. In high-stress environments like policing, perceived social support from colleagues, family, and friends acts as a protective buffer against emotional and psychological strain. This moderating effect is particularly significant in Chinese cultural contexts, where family support is deeply valued as a primary stress management resource [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR41\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e41\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eEmpirical research substantiates this moderating role. Studies by Burke et al. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR42\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e42\u003c/span\u003e] and Karasek and Theorell [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR43\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e43\u003c/span\u003e] demonstrate that perceived social support can substantially mitigate the negative psychological impacts of work stress. By providing emotional resources and alternative perspectives, perceived social support enables individuals to more effectively navigate and interpret workplace stressors [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR44\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e44\u003c/span\u003e], thereby influencing the relationship between coping strategies and overall WWB.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBased on above evidence, the study proposes the following hypotheses:\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eH3a: Perceived social support moderates the relationship between police officers' positive coping strategies and WWB. Specifically, the association between positive coping strategies and WWB is stronger among individuals with high levels of perceived social support compared to those with low levels of perceived social support.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eH3b: Perceived social support moderates the relationship between police officers' negative coping strategies and WWB. Specifically, the negative impact of negative coping strategies on WWB is weaker among individuals with high levels of perceived social support compared to those with low levels of perceived social support.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe Current Research\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTaken together, the main purposes of the current study were as follows. First, to examine the relationship between two kinds of stressors and WWB among Chinese police officers. Second, to examine whether coping strategies would mediate the relation between work stressors and WWB. Finally, to examine whether perceived social support would moderate the relation between coping strategies and WWB. The hypotheses frame is illustrated (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Methods","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec8\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eParticipants\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eA total of 693 police officer (85% male) took part in this survey. The participants were recruited from three provinces in China. The mean age of the participants was 36.80 years (\u003cem\u003eSD\u0026thinsp;=\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;2.74, range\u0026thinsp;\u003cem\u003e=\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;22\u0026ndash;50 years). The participants were surveyed on various factors, including demographic variables.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e All participants provided written informed consent prior to study participation. The research purpose, procedures, potential risks, and benefits were fully explained, and participants were informed of their right to withdraw at any time without penalty.The study protocol was approved by Fujian Police College Institutional Review Board (IRB), and the research was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe Measure of Work Stressors\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis study utilized the time stress and leader-subordinate conflict subscales from the interpersonal conflict scale to operationalize challenge and hindrance work stressors. The time stress measure, adapted from Maruping et al. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR45\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e45\u003c/span\u003e], consists of four items designed to capture work-related temporal pressures. A representative item reads: \"The requirement to complete tasks on time often creates significant stress for me.\" Similarly, the leader-subordinate conflict subscale, developed by Liu et al. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR46\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e46\u003c/span\u003e], comprises four items assessing workplace relational tensions. An exemplar item probes: \"How frequently do you have conflicts with your supervisor at work?\" Participants responded using a 1\u0026ndash;6 Likert scale, ranging from \"Never\" (1) to \"Always\" (6). In this study, the scale demonstrated robust reliability (Cronbach's α\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.92) and validity indices, with confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) results indicating acceptable model fit: CFI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.93, TLI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.92, RMSEA\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.06, SRMR\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.04.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe Measure of WWB\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWWB was assessed using a 6-item questionnaire by Zheng et al. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR47\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e47\u003c/span\u003e]. A representative item was: \"Overall, I am very satisfied with the work I do.\" Participants rated each item on a five-point Likert scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree), with higher scores indicating greater WWB. The scale demonstrated good internal consistency, with a Cronbach's α of 0.83 in this study. The CFA results indicating acceptable model fit: CFI\u0026thinsp;\u003cem\u003e=\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.90, TLI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.90, RMSEA\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.06, SRMR\u0026thinsp;\u003cem\u003e=\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.06.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec11\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eThe Measure of Perceived Social Support\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe study employed the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) to measure perceived social support [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR48\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e48\u003c/span\u003e]. The 12-item scale assessed support from two primary sources: Family and Friends. Participants rated each item on a 6-point scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 6 (strongly agree), with higher scores indicating greater perceived social support. The scale demonstrated good internal consistency, with a Cronbach's α of 0.82 in this study. The CFA results indicating good model fit: CFI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.94, TLI\u0026thinsp;\u003cem\u003e=\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.92, RMSEA\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.05, SRMR\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.03.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec12\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eThe Measure of Coping Strategies\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eCoping strategies are assessed using a revised version of the COPE Inventory, originally developed by Carver et al. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR49\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e49\u003c/span\u003e]. This instrument utilizes a 6-point Likert scale to measure the extent to which each statement reflects the respondent's experience. The abbreviated version of the inventory consists of four subscales: active problem-solving, passive problem-solving, seeking support, and distraction, totaling 27 items. For this study, we selected the subscales of Active Problem-Solving and Plan dimensions (e.g., \u0026ldquo;I take additional action to try to get rid of the problem\u0026rdquo;) as measure of positive coping strategies, and avoidance and denial dimensions (e.g., \u0026ldquo;I refuse to believe that it has happened\u0026rdquo;) as measures of negative coping strategies. The modified scale includes 16 items. The scale demonstrated good internal consistency with a Cronbach's α of 0.85 in this study. The CFA results indicating good model fit: CFI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.91, TLI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.91, RMSEA\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.06, SRMR\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.05.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec13\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eControl Variables\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003e The study received ethical approval from the Institutional Review Board of the first author's university. Key ethical considerations included: Obtaining informed consent from participants and their supervisors; Anonymous survey administration by trained postgraduate students; Assuring response confidentiality and integrity. The survey was designed using Questionnaire Star, which enforces mandatory responses. Consequently, the dataset contains no missing values, as participants were required to complete all items before submission.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Results","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec15\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003ePreliminary Analyses\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo address potential common method bias, the study conducted Harman's single-factor test. The analysis revealed that the first principal component explained 17.21% of the total variance before rotation-significantly below the 40% threshold. This finding suggests that common method bias does not pose a substantial concern in this research.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDescriptive statistics of the variables.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"8\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c8\" colnum=\"8\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eVariables\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eM\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSD\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1 CWS\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.40\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.83\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026mdash;\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2 HWS\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.12\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.79\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e.04\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026mdash;\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3 positive coping strategy\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.02\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.80\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e.34***\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;.08*\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026mdash;\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4 negative coping strategy\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.38\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.65\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;.09\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e.18**\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e.23***\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026mdash;\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5 perceived social support\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.87\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.73\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e.06\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e.05\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e.22***\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;.13*\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026mdash;\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6 WWB\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.06\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.89\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e.32***\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;.28***\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e.33***\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;.42***\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e.48***\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003csup\u003e1\u003c/sup\u003e Note. * p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.05. *** p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe means, standard deviations, and zero-order correlations for all the variables in the study were presented (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e). As hypothesized, higher work stress was associated with lower WWB among police officers. Additionally, officers with higher levels of perceived social support reported higher WWB. Furthermore, problem-focused coping was positively correlated with WWB, whereas emotion-focused coping showed a negative correlation with WWB. These preliminary findings support the idea that work stress, perceived social support, and coping strategies are significant factors influencing WWB.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec16\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eTest of the Mediation Model of Coping Strategies\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo examine the mediating role of coping strategies in the relationship between work stressors and WWB, we conducted a mediation analysis using the bruceR package in R language [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR50\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e50\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR51\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e51\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSignificant paths included in model.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"5\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePath\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eES\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSE\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ez\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eBoot 95% CI\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCWS \u0026rarr; WWB\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.260\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.035\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7.352***\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[0.187, 0.332]\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHWS \u0026rarr; WWB\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.277\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.033\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-8.337***\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[-0.342, -0.214]\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePositive coping strategy \u0026rarr; WWB\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.170\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.037\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.641***\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[0.097, 0.245]\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNegative coping strategy \u0026rarr; WWB\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.434\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.040\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-10.786***\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[-0.486, -0.351]\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePerceived social support \u0026rarr; WWB\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.585\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.041\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14.425***\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[0.497, 0.663]\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePerceived social support*positive coping strategy \u0026rarr; WWB\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.527\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.038\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e13.936***\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[0.433, 0.613]\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePerceived social support*negative coping strategy \u0026rarr; WWB\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.550\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.036\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15.573***\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[0.465, 0.631]\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCWS \u0026rarr; positive coping strategy \u0026rarr; WWB\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.056\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.013\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.173***\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[0.032, 0.083]\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHWS \u0026rarr; negative coping strategy \u0026rarr; WWB\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.064\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.015\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-4.404***\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e[-0.099, -0.035]\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e* \u003cem\u003eNote: ES\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;effect size; The Boot 95% CI represents 95% confidence interval that was derived from 5,000 bootstrap samples.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe significant paths included in model are showed (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e). The analysis revealed significant direct effects on WWB. CWS positively influenced WWB (β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.260, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001), while HWS had a negative impact (β = -0.277, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001). Both positive coping strategy (β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.278, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001) and perceived social support (β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.585, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001) were positively associated with WWB. Conversely, negative coping strategy was significantly negatively related to WWB (β = -434, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMediation analyses indicated that CWS indirectly affected WWB through positive coping strategy (effect size\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.056, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001), and HWS indirectly affected WWB through negative coping strategy (effect size = -0.064, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001).\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec17\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eTest of the Moderation Model of Perceived Social Support\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo examine the moderating role of perceived social support in the relationship between positive coping strategy, negative coping strategy and WWB, we conducted a moderated mediate analysis. Interaction effects were also observed. The interaction of perceived social support and positive coping strategy had a significant positive effect on WWB (β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.527, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001), as did the interaction between perceived social support and negative coping strategy (β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.550, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe moderating role of perceived social support on the association between CWS (likely a predictor) and WWB (likely an outcome). The x-axis represents the levels of perceived social support, while the y-axis shows the slope of the CWS-WWB relationship. The blue shaded area (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e) indicates where the relationship between CWS and WWB is statistically significant (\u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.05). This occurs when perceived social support is greater than approximately \u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;2.42 or less than approximately \u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;0.47. Correspondingly, the pink shaded area represents the region where the relationship is not statistically significant. From the Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e, we can see that the association between CWS and WWB was significantly positive as the perceived social support level exceeded \u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;0.47, indicating that higher perceived social support enhanced the positive impact of CWS on WWB. Conversely, when perceived social support was low, the relationship weakened or became insignificant. Therefore, we can conclude that perceived social support plays a moderating role in the relationship between CWS and WWB. The positive impact of CWS on WWB becomes stronger when the level of perceived social support is high, and decreases or disappears when the level of perceived social support is low. This suggests that perceived social support plays a key role in enhancing the positive impact of CWS on WWB.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe moderating role of perceived social support between HWS and WWB is showed (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e). From the graph we can see that HWS and WWB show statistical significance in the blue shaded area. This significance occurs when the perceived social support level is below about 1.62, HWS and WWB were not statistically significant in the pink area, specifically, when the perceived social support level was above 1.62, the relationship became insignificant. With the increase of perceived social support level, the negative correlation between HWS and WWB gradually weakened (slope toward 0). When the level of perceived social support was lower (below 1.62), the negative correlation was significant. It can be inferred that perceived social support regulates the relationship between HWS and WWB. At lower levels of perceived social support, HWS has a significant negative impact on WWB, while at higher levels of perceived social support, this negative correlation gradually disappears. This indicates that perceived social support plays an important role in alleviating HWS on the negative impact of WWB.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eWork-related stress is a well-established contributor to WWB, particularly in high-risk professions like policing. In this study, we aimed to explore the relationship between work stress and WWB among Chinese police officers, a group that regularly faces unique stressors, such as physical danger, public scrutiny, and role ambiguity. As expected, work stress was negatively associated with WWB, supporting a large body of literature suggesting that stressors in the workplace can lead to significant psychological strain [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR52\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e52\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR53\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e53\u003c/span\u003e]. In high-stress environments, such as law enforcement, the psychological burden can lead to decreased WWB, impairing an individual\u0026rsquo;s emotional well-being, decision-making, and overall job performance. The present findings reinforce these conclusions by demonstrating that work stress significantly predicts WWB in police officers, highlighting the critical need to address stress management within this profession.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHowever, the relationship between work stress and WWB is not straightforward and can be influenced by various personal and environmental factors. Our findings suggest that coping strategies, perceived social support, and mental health conditions, such as depression, can alter this relationship in important ways, which we will discuss further.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec19\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eThe Mediating Role of Coping Strategies\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis study also aimed to understand the mechanisms through which work stress influences WWB. Our findings revealed that coping strategies play a significant mediating role in this relationship. Specifically, problem-focused coping acted as a protective factor, reducing the negative impact of work stress on WWB, while emotion-focused coping exacerbated the relationship. These results align with previous research suggesting that individuals who engage in problem-focused coping are better equipped to manage stress by addressing the source of the stress directly. On the other hand, emotion-focused coping, such as avoidance or denial, tends to increase the emotional burden and decrease WWB. This highlights the importance of promoting adaptive coping strategies, such as problem-solving and seeking support, to help police officers better manage work-related stress and improve WWB.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe mediation model also underscores the critical role of individual coping tendencies in determining psychological outcomes. This finding suggests that coping strategies not only help officers handle work stress more effectively but also influence the intensity of WWB experienced in response to stress. These insights are valuable for designing stress-management interventions targeted at improving coping skills in high-stress occupations like policing.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec20\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eThe Moderating Role of Perceived Social Support\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eWe found the moderating role of perceived social support in the relationship between coping strategies and WWB, particularly in the high-stress occupational context of police work. Consistent with the buffering hypothesis of perceived social support, the findings demonstrate that perceived social support strengthens the positive impact of adaptive coping strategies on WWB while mitigating the negative effects of maladaptive coping strategies. These results align with established theories such as the Cognitive-Transactional Theory of Stress and the Challenge-Hindrance Stressor Framework, while offering novel insights into their application in occupational settings characterized by heightened psychological demands. Unlike earlier studies, which have predominantly focused on direct effects, this research underscores the dynamic interplay between perceived social support and coping strategies, emphasizing the importance of tailoring interventions to the specific challenges faced by police officers.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe moderating effect of perceived social support can be understood through resource augmentation, emotional regulation, and social identity. Perceived social support provides access to material and emotional resources, alleviates negative emotions, and fosters a sense of belonging, which together enhance individuals\u0026rsquo; capacity to cope with stress and maintain well-being. The findings also contribute to the growing body of literature emphasizing the contextual relevance of perceived social support, particularly its role in enhancing resilience and psychological stability in high-stress work environments by integrating individual and social factors.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec21\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eLimitations and Future Research\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eDespite its contributions, this study has several limitations. First, the cross-sectional design limits causal inferences. Future studies using longitudinal or experimental designs could help establish the directionality of the relationships between work stressors, coping strategies, perceived social support, and WWB. Second, the reliance on self-reported data may introduce biases. Incorporating data from multiple sources, such as supervisors, peers, and family members, could provide a more comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing WWB in police officers. Third, the findings from this study, based on samples collected from several provinces in China, may not fully represent the experiences of police officers across the entire country. Regional variations in socioeconomic conditions, organizational structures, and cultural nuances could influence the generalizability of the results. Future research should replicate this study in different countries or professions to explore the universality of these findings.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Conclusions","content":"\u003cp\u003eIn summary, this study highlights that two distinct types of work stressors, namely CWS and HWS, are each significantly associated with WWB among Chinese police officers. To be specific, CWS have positive relation with WWB, while HWS have negative relation with WWB. Moreover, coping strategies play a mediating role in this relationship. While perceived social support generally serves as a buffer and accelerator. Specifically, it can exacerbated the positive relationship between CWS and WWB in our study, and can also buffer the negative relation between hindrance stressor and WWB. These findings emphasize the complexity of how various factors interact to influence WWB of police officers and provide valuable insights for future interventions and research.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCompeting interests\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors declare they have no competing interests.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthors\u0026apos; contributions\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDeveloped the research concept studies and drafted the manuscript, L.C. X. X performed testing and data collection; Q. M and X.X. conducted the data analysis. X. X and J.D edited and supervised the manuscript. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAcknowledgements \u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNone.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eData Availability Statement\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe data presented in this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to privacy.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFounding\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEducation and Research Project for Yong Teachers in Fujian Province (grant number JAT220234).\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eUgwu LE, Idemudia ES. (2024). Burnout and Post-traumatic Stress Disorders in Police Officers: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. J Police Criminal Psychol, 1\u0026ndash;14.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eZhou S, Li M, Chen S, Jiang D, Qu Y, Xu X. Work pressure, coping styles and occupational burnout among Chinese police officers: a meta-analytic review. BMC Psychol. 2024;12(1):275.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eShane JM. Organizational stressors and police performance. J criminal justice. 2010;38(4):807\u0026ndash;18.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDong M, Ren Z, Li Y, Ye Q. (2024). Stress begets distress: the association of job stress with psychological distress among prison police officers. Psychol Crime Law, 1\u0026ndash;19.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eXu J, Wang X, Sun G. Sacrifice spirit and police work-family conflict among rank-and-file officers in China. Polic Soc. 2024;34(3):183\u0026ndash;99.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDeVylder J, Fedina L, Link B. Impact of police violence on mental health: A theoretical framework. Am J Public Health. 2020;110(11):1704\u0026ndash;10.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBhowmick S, Mulla Z. Who gets burnout and when? The role of personality, job control, and organizational identification in predicting burnout among police officers. J police criminal Psychol. 2021;36(2):243\u0026ndash;55.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJiang Z. Cross-level effects of diversity climate on employee organizational identification: Evidence from law enforcement units. Public Perform Manage Rev. 2024;47(1):56\u0026ndash;88.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWang Y, Zheng L, Hu T, Zheng Q. Stress, burnout, and job satisfaction: Case of police force in China. Public personnel Manage. 2014;43(3):325\u0026ndash;39.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLi JC, Cheung CK, Sun IY, Cheung YK, Zhu S. Work\u0026ndash;family conflicts, stress, and turnover intention among Hong Kong police officers amid the covid-19 pandemic. Police Q. 2022;25(3):281\u0026ndash;309.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHa SV, Sun IY, Wu Y, Chen Y. Gender differences in Chinese policing: Supervisor support, wellbeing, and turnover intention. Policing: J Policy Pract. 2024;18:paae028.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eZou Q, Zou B. Happiness at work: Definition, measurement levels and causal models. Adv Psychol Sci. 2015;23(4):669.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHaarr RN, Morash M. Gender, race, and strategies of coping with occupational stress in policing. Justice Q. 1999;16(2):303\u0026ndash;36.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNdero P, Kimamo C, Mwaura L. Psychological Well-Being and Job Satisfaction of Kenyan Police Officers. Int J Psychol. 2024;9(1):6\u0026ndash;21.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLin PY, Tseng P, Liang WM, Lin WY, Cheng YP, Kuo HW. The mediating effect of health behaviors on the association between job strain and mental health outcome: a national survey of police officers. Sci Rep. 2024;14(1):10015.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLazarus RS, Folkman S. Stress, appraisal, and coping. New York, NY: Springer; 1984.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCavanaugh MA, Boswell WR, Roehling MV, Boudreau JW. An empirical examination of self-reported work stress among US managers. J Appl Psychol. 2000;85(1):65.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLePine MA. The challenge-hindrance stressor framework: an integrative conceptual review and path forward. Group Organ Manage. 2022;47(2):223\u0026ndash;54.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePindek S, Meyer K, Valvo A, Arvan M. (2024). A Dynamic View of the Challenge-Hindrance Stressor Framework: a Meta-Analysis of Daily Diary Studies. J Bus Psychol, 1\u0026ndash;19.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePerformance appraisal satisfaction. and employee outcomes: mediating and moderating roles of work motivation. Int J Hum Resource Manage, \u003cem\u003e17\u003c/em\u003e(3), 504\u0026ndash;22.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWallace JC, Edwards BD, Arnold T, Frazier ML, Finch DM. Work stressors, role-based performance, and the moderating influence of organizational support. J Appl Psychol. 2009;94(1):254.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBaethge A, Menhardt AK, Frontzkowski Y, Schilbach M. Two sides of the same coin: motivating and demotivating mediation paths of time pressure and their relationship with strain. Anxiety Stress Coping. 2024;37(1):86\u0026ndash;99.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePodsakoff NP, Freiburger KJ, Podsakoff PM, Rosen CC. Laying the foundation for the challenge\u0026ndash;hindrance stressor framework 2.0. Annual Rev organizational Psychol organizational Behav. 2023;10(1):165\u0026ndash;99.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHoran KA, Nakahara WH, DiStaso MJ, Jex SM. A review of the challenge-hindrance stress model: Recent advances, expanded paradigms, and recommendations for future research. Front Psychol. 2020;11:560346.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDawson KM, O'Brien KE, Beehr TA. The role of hindrance stressors in the job demand\u0026ndash;control\u0026ndash;support model of occupational stress: A proposed theory revision. J organizational Behav. 2016;37(3):397\u0026ndash;415.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMazzola JJ, Disselhorst R. Should we be challenging employees? A critical review and meta-analysis of the challenge‐hindrance model of stress. J Organizational Behav. 2019;40(8):949\u0026ndash;61.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCrane MF, Searle BJ. Building resilience through exposure to stressors: The effects of challenges versus hindrances. J Occup Health Psychol. 2016;21(4):468.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOrgamb\u0026iacute;dez A, Extremera N. Understanding the link between work engagement and job satisfaction: Do role stressors underlie this relationship? Scand J Psychol. 2020;61(3):443\u0026ndash;9.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eKim H, Shin K, Hwang J. Too much may be a bad thing: the difference between challenge and hindrance job demands. Curr Psychol. 2024;43(7):6180\u0026ndash;92.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eManrai LA, Manrai AK, Lascu D, Friedeborn S. Determinants and effects of cultural context: A review, conceptual model, and propositions. J Global Mark. 2019;32(2):67\u0026ndash;82.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eShirish A, Srivastava SC, Boughzala I. Contextualizing team adaptation for fostering creative outcomes in multicultural Virtual teams: a mixed methods approach. J Association Inform Syst. 2023;24(3):700\u0026ndash;44.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWidmer PS, Semmer NK, K\u0026auml;lin W, Jacobshagen N, Meier LL. The ambivalence of CWS: Time pressure associated with both negative and positive well-being. J Vocat Behav. 2012;80(2):422\u0026ndash;33.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eKern M, Heissler C, Zapf D. Social job stressors can foster employee well-being: Introducing the concept of social CWS. J Bus Psychol. 2021;36(5):771\u0026ndash;92.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSonnentag S, Tay L, Nesher Shoshan H. A review on health and well-being at work: More than stressors and strains. Pers Psychol. 2023;76(2):473\u0026ndash;510.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRen F, Zhang J. Job stressors, organizational innovation climate, and employees\u0026rsquo;innovative behavior. Creativity Res J. 2015;27(1):16\u0026ndash;23.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBoyd NG, Lewin JE, Sager JK. A model of stress and coping and their influence on individual and organizational outcomes. J Vocat Behav. 2009;75(2):197\u0026ndash;211.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eChao RCL. Managing stress and maintaining well-being: Social support, problem‐focused coping, and avoidant coping. J Couns Dev. 2011;89(3):338\u0026ndash;48.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLiem A, Renzaho AM, Hannam K, Lam AI, Hall BJ. Acculturative stress and coping among migrant workers: A global mixed-methods systematic review. Appl Psychology: Health Well‐Being. 2021;13(3):491\u0026ndash;517.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLePine JA, Podsakoff NP, LePine MA. A meta-analytic test of the CWS\u0026ndash;hindrance stressor framework: An explanation for inconsistent relationships among stressors and performance. Acad Manag J. 2005;48(5):764\u0026ndash;75.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eChen GM. Revisiting the social enhancement hypothesis: Extroversion indirectly predicts number of Facebook friends operating through Facebook usage. Comput Hum Behav. 2014;39:263\u0026ndash;9.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLi C, Jiang S, Li N, Zhang Q. Influence of social participation on life satisfaction and depression among Chinese elderly: Social support as a mediator. J community Psychol. 2018;46(3):345\u0026ndash;55.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBurke CK, Maton KI, Mankowski ES, Anderson C. Healing men and community: Predictors of outcome in a men\u0026rsquo;s initiatory and support organization. Am J Community Psychol. 2010;45:186\u0026ndash;200.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eKarasek RA, Theorell T. Healthy work. New York: Basic Books; 1990.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSajjadiani S, Daniels MA, Huang HC. The social process of coping with work-related stressors online: A machine learning and interpretive data science approach. Pers Psychol. 2024;77(2):321\u0026ndash;73.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMaruping LM, Venkatesh V, Thatcher SMB, et al. Folding under stress or rising to the occasion? Perceived time stress and the moderating role of team temporal leadership. Acad Manag J. 2015;58(5):1313\u0026ndash;33.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLiu C, Specter PE, Shi L. Cross-national job stress: A quantitative and qualitative study. J Organizational Behav. 2007;28(2):209\u0026ndash;39.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eZheng XM, Zhu WC, Zhao HX, et al. Employee well-being in organizations: Theoretical model, scale development, and cross-cultural validation. J Organizational Behav. 2015;36(5):621\u0026ndash;44.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eZimet GD, Dahlem NW, Zimet SG, Farley GK. The multidimensional scale of perceived social support. J Pers Assess. 1988;52(1):30\u0026ndash;41.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCarver CS, Scheier MF, Weintraub JK. Assessing coping strategies: a theoretically based approach. J Personal Soc Psychol. 1989;56(2):267.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBao H. (2024). \u003cem\u003ebruceR: Broadly Useful Convenient and Efficient R Functions. R package version 2024.6\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://psychbruce.github.io/bruceR/\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"https://psychbruce.github.io/bruceR/\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003e(2024). \u003cem\u003eR: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing\u003c/em\u003e, Vienna, Austria. R Core Team, \u0026lt;. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://www.R-project.org/\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"https://www.R-project.org/\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eViolanti JM, Ma CC, Mnatsakanova A, Fekedulegn D, Hartley TA, Gu JK, Andrew ME. Associations between police work stressors and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms: Examining the moderating effects of coping. J police criminal Psychol. 2018;33:271\u0026ndash;82.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAnderson SF, Salk RH, Hyde JS. Stress in romantic relationships and adolescent depressive symptoms: Influence of parental support. J Fam Psychol. 2015;29(3):339.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Work Stressors, Coping Strategies, Work Well-being, Perceived Social Support, Chinese Police Officers","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-5710800/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-5710800/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBackground\u003c/strong\u003e: The impact of work stressors on work well-being has been a focal point of research, however, the findings to date have exhibited a degree of inconsistency.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMethods\u003c/strong\u003e: This study investigated the impact of two types of work stressors, namely, challenge work stressors and hindrance work stressors on the work well-being of Chinese police officers based on Cognitive-Transactional Theory. A total of 693 officers participated by completing assessments of work stressors, work well-being, coping strategies, and perceived social support.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eResults\u003c/strong\u003e: The results showed the following: (1) both types of work stressors significantly influence work well-being, with coping strategies mediating this relationship; (2) positive coping strategy mediates the positive relation between challenge work stressors and work well-being; (3) negative coping strategy mediates the negative relation between hindrance work stressors and work well-being; (4) on the one hand, perceived social support enhanced the positive relation between positive coping strategy and work well-being, on the other hand, perceived social support buffered the negative relation between negative coping strategy and work well-being.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConclusion\u003c/strong\u003e: These results highlight the complex mechanisms linking work stressors to work well-being in the policing profession and offer practical insights for designing targeted stress management interventions for law enforcement personnel.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"The Role of Challenge and Hindrance Work Stressors on Work Well-being Among Chinese Policemen: Mechanism and Boundary Condition","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-01-08 17:11:27","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-5710800/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"13624321-67b5-485f-a65a-01e8c06b9c6f","owner":[],"postedDate":"January 8th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-03-18T09:12:44+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-01-08 17:11:27","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-5710800","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-5710800","identity":"rs-5710800","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}