An Exploration of Coping Mechanisms Adopted by Retired Police Officers to Sustain Their Well-Being: A Case of The Nairobi Chapter of National Association of Retired Police Officers in Kenya

Abstract

The retirement stage of life presents with varying positive and negative experiences depending on the planning and preparation measures that have been put in place. For police officers, this transition also brings about another perspective as not only do they exit the workforce, but they further undergo an identity change as they convert from an enforcer of the law to a civilian. This study sought to establish the various coping mechanisms that retired police officers adopted to ensure that their wellbeing is sustained during retirement. The specific objectives of the study included; assessing retirement preparedness of police officers; investigating challenges experienced by retired police officers, and exploring the coping mechanisms retired police officers have adopted to sustain their well-being. The study was informed by the role theory and the continuity theory of normal aging and adopted the exploratory research design that allowed for the utilization of both a quantitative and qualitative approach. The Pragmatism philosophy was considered. The target population consisted of police officers who have retired and are members of the Nairobi Chapter of the National Association of Retired Police Officers of Kenya (NARPOK), with a sample size of 32. A semi-structured questionnaire was administered to the study participants and the collected data was analysed using SPSS and descriptive statistics in excel. The findings of the study revealed that the officers are not suffering from adverse effects in their retirement, and financial wellbeing and social wellbeing rank highly with regard to preparing for, and ensuring quality of life during the retirement experience. The study recommended that greater emphasis be placed on retirement planning and preparedness for police officers as this aspect is not sufficiently ensured, and the government and key stakeholders to undertake more action with regard to guaranteeing welfare of retired police officers.