A study of police recruits' attendance at a post-mortem: with an assessment of the usefulness of the Multidimensional Fear of Death Scale

Abstract

This study is part of a wider research programme into the topic of emergency personnels' exposure to death. The objectives of this piece of research were firstly, to investigate the usefulness of the Multidimensional Fear of Death Scale (MFODS) with a group of police recruits attending a post-mortem as part of their training. Second, to relate their reaction to the post-mortem to a variety of demographic and other variables. Third, to provide a detailed qualitative description of how the recruits experienced attending the post-mortem. Fourth, to make suggestions to improve the use of the post-mortem experience in the training of police recruits and, from a review of previous research, to comment on ways of making the recruits' death education course more effective. The MFODS was administered twice to a group of 78 police recruits, together with the collection of demographic data and their previous exposure to death. The first administration was when their course commenced and it was given again at the start of their training module on death. In the course of this module they were required to attend a post-mortem. Their reaction to the post-mortem was measured by means of an adjective check-list (Stress Arousal Cheek List), supervisor-rating, peer-rating and self-rating. MFODS scores were then correlated with these criteria in order to assess the usefulness of the MFODS with this population. The results showed that the factor structure of the MFODS was confirmed apart from one subscale Fear for the body after death. However the reliabilities of several of the subscales were low and the MFODS did not show itself to be valid against the criteria measures of the recruits' reaction used in this study. Suggestions were made regarding further study of the MFODS with this population and for the construction of a Body Handling Stress Scale for measuring stress associated with exposure to death by emergency workers. None of the demographic or other variables, either singularly or in combination, were highly correlated with the mean rating of recruits' reaction to the post-mortem. The recruits' self-reports of their response to the post-mortem were also obtained and used to compile a detailed qualitative account of their reaction to the post-mortem. Recruits were also asked about their preferences for the way in which the post-mortem experience was included in their course and on the basis of their comments together with a review of previous research in the course of this study, suggestions were made about the recruits' death education programme, particularly building on the experiential focus of the post-mortem with additional experiential exercises.