Suicide, the endpoint of the continuum that begins with suicide ideation, is known to be an important precursor of attempted suicides. The purpose of this study was to determine the level of suicide ideation of police members and to determine the differences between suicide ideation of various demographic variables, in particular, the gender, rank and race groups of police members. The convenience sample (N = 111) was drawn from police stations in the Nelson Mandela Metropole in the Eastern Cape Province. The Adult Suicide Ideation Questionnaire (ASIQ) and a Biographical Questionnaire were administered. The results indicated that 1.4 % of the sample showed significant levels of suicidal ideation scoring a high score above 31 (i.e., above the 97th percentile by ASIQ). The T-test, One-way (ANOVA) and the Pearson Chi-Square analysis showed no significant differences between suicide ideation and the demographic variables based on the police station, age, gender, race, rank, years of service, years of current position, educational qualifications, marital status, presence of medical conditions, number of alcoholic drinks consumed per week, smoking behaviour and exercise behaviour. However, participants with previous suicide attempts had significant high scores on ASIQ.

This study investigates the role of unconscious and conscious coping strategies in the mediation of stress in high risk occupational contexts. The Social Readjustment Rating Scale, the Multidimensional Coping Inventory and the Defense Style Questionnaires were completed by 194 police, ambulance and teaching personnel. A sample of 37 teachers served as a non high risk occupation control group. Descriptive statistics, regression analysis, analysis of variance, analysis of difference and principal component analysis were performed on the data. Results indicated minimal significant between group differences. Within group variances were yielded. A minor relationship between levels of stress and usage of positive and negative mechanisms was observed. The significance of these findings is discussed and recommendations made for further study.