The Physiological Impact of Stress on Performance in Tactical Populations: A Critical Review

Law enforcement officers (LEOs) are required to perform in high stress situations where they must protect civilians and fellow officers. Due to the impact stress may have on performance, the aim of this review was to critically appraise the available literature on stress and performance in tactical personnel and to synthesize the findings. A systematic search of four selected databases known to report studies in this population and field of research, was conducted. Pre-determined inclusion and exclusion criteria were used to determine which studies qualified for this review. The ten included studies were critically appraised and information relevant to the research topic was extracted and tabulated. The mean critical appraisal score of all articles was 50% and ranged from 21% being of ‘poor’ quality to 64% being of ‘good’ quality. The Cohen’s kappa analysis showed an agreement rating of 43% (휿=0.429). Eight of the ten studies reported a change in performance between the non-stressful and stressful scenarios while the other two studies reported an increase in dissociative symptoms which led to a change in performance. This critical review concluded that performance in tactical populations can be influenced by stress and LEOs should be made aware of the impact occupational stresses have on their performance as well as the physiological changes their body undergoes in the line of duty.