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Identifying types of Mental Health Problems and Aggression among Security Guards: Are they Totally Safe

Received: 14 June 2013     Published: 20 July 2013
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Abstract

Security guards give service within several ranges of tasks. In the line of duty in various work settings, guards may be expected to maintain order and to detain criminal violators while appointed to a single property or placed on patrol for various sites or territories. Concisely, a security guard may encounter a variety of situations, locations, and behaviours. With such a heavy responsibility and important duties, it is very important to make sure that the security guards are mentally and behaviourally healthy and safe. Concerning these issues, this study aimed to identify types of mental health problem and aggression among security guards. In addition, association between mental health problems and aggression, and difference between male and female security guards in terms of mental health problems were examined. Self-report surveys were conducted among 300 security guards in data collection. The findings identified four subtypes of mental health problems: substance abuse, antisocial personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, and depression, experienced by the security guards. The security guards were also reported to be performing physical aggression, verbal aggression, anger, and hostility. Male and female security guards showed significant difference in occurrence of mental health problems. The association between the mental health problems and aggression were also found mostly significant. Concisely, prevalence of mental health problems and aggressive behaviours was identified among security guards. These findings suggest that people who work as security guards in the presence of mental health problems are not totally safe. The findings recommend a serious need for mental health problems assessment among security guards during the enrolment or whilst performing daily duties in order to ensure healthy and safe employer and the public as whole and safe workplace environment. The findings of this study are crucial for public awareness.

Published in Psychology and Behavioral Sciences (Volume 2, Issue 3)
DOI 10.11648/j.pbs.20130203.18
Page(s) 130-137
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2013. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Security guard, Mental health problems, Aggression

References
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Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Affizal Ahmad, Nurul Hazrina Mazlan. (2013). Identifying types of Mental Health Problems and Aggression among Security Guards: Are they Totally Safe. Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, 2(3), 130-137. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.pbs.20130203.18

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    ACS Style

    Affizal Ahmad; Nurul Hazrina Mazlan. Identifying types of Mental Health Problems and Aggression among Security Guards: Are they Totally Safe. Psychol. Behav. Sci. 2013, 2(3), 130-137. doi: 10.11648/j.pbs.20130203.18

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    AMA Style

    Affizal Ahmad, Nurul Hazrina Mazlan. Identifying types of Mental Health Problems and Aggression among Security Guards: Are they Totally Safe. Psychol Behav Sci. 2013;2(3):130-137. doi: 10.11648/j.pbs.20130203.18

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  • @article{10.11648/j.pbs.20130203.18,
      author = {Affizal Ahmad and Nurul Hazrina Mazlan},
      title = {Identifying types of Mental Health Problems and Aggression among Security Guards: Are they Totally Safe},
      journal = {Psychology and Behavioral Sciences},
      volume = {2},
      number = {3},
      pages = {130-137},
      doi = {10.11648/j.pbs.20130203.18},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.pbs.20130203.18},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.pbs.20130203.18},
      abstract = {Security guards give service within several ranges of tasks. In the line of duty in various work settings, guards may be expected to maintain order and to detain criminal violators while appointed to a single property or placed on patrol for various sites or territories. Concisely, a security guard may encounter a variety of situations, locations, and behaviours. With such a heavy responsibility and important duties, it is very important to make sure that the security guards are mentally and behaviourally healthy and safe. Concerning these issues, this study aimed to identify types of mental health problem and aggression among security guards. In addition, association between mental health problems and aggression, and difference between male and female security guards in terms of mental health problems were examined. Self-report surveys were conducted among 300 security guards in data collection. The findings identified four subtypes of mental health problems: substance abuse, antisocial personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, and depression, experienced by the security guards. The security guards were also reported to be performing physical aggression, verbal aggression, anger, and hostility. Male and female security guards showed significant difference in occurrence of mental health problems. The association between the mental health problems and aggression were also found mostly significant. Concisely, prevalence of mental health problems and aggressive behaviours was identified among security guards. These findings suggest that people who work as security guards in the presence of mental health problems are not totally safe. The findings recommend a serious need for mental health problems assessment among security guards during the enrolment or whilst performing daily duties in order to ensure healthy and safe employer and the public as whole and safe workplace environment. The findings of this study are crucial for public awareness.},
     year = {2013}
    }
    

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    AU  - Affizal Ahmad
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    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.pbs.20130203.18
    AB  - Security guards give service within several ranges of tasks. In the line of duty in various work settings, guards may be expected to maintain order and to detain criminal violators while appointed to a single property or placed on patrol for various sites or territories. Concisely, a security guard may encounter a variety of situations, locations, and behaviours. With such a heavy responsibility and important duties, it is very important to make sure that the security guards are mentally and behaviourally healthy and safe. Concerning these issues, this study aimed to identify types of mental health problem and aggression among security guards. In addition, association between mental health problems and aggression, and difference between male and female security guards in terms of mental health problems were examined. Self-report surveys were conducted among 300 security guards in data collection. The findings identified four subtypes of mental health problems: substance abuse, antisocial personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, and depression, experienced by the security guards. The security guards were also reported to be performing physical aggression, verbal aggression, anger, and hostility. Male and female security guards showed significant difference in occurrence of mental health problems. The association between the mental health problems and aggression were also found mostly significant. Concisely, prevalence of mental health problems and aggressive behaviours was identified among security guards. These findings suggest that people who work as security guards in the presence of mental health problems are not totally safe. The findings recommend a serious need for mental health problems assessment among security guards during the enrolment or whilst performing daily duties in order to ensure healthy and safe employer and the public as whole and safe workplace environment. The findings of this study are crucial for public awareness.
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Author Information
  • Forensic Sciences Programme, School of Health Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kelantan, Malaysia

  • Forensic Sciences Programme, School of Health Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kelantan, Malaysia

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