DO YOU FEEL A LOT OF STRESS AT THE BORDER TODAY?

Abstract

In my border inspection staffs stress research I tried to establish how the border inspection staff experienced stress and how to cope with stress in different ways. My research was set out to identify coping mechanisms at their disposal and the ones the staff has found effective in reducing stress at the border inspection work. The data consisted of the results obtained in previous studies, and relevant theories, as well as on the results of the survey carried out on border inspection staff. Also, I used my own experiences for the benefit of my findings. The survey was carried out for three different border crossing points in Finland, the land border at Vaalimaa, sea border with the South Harbour and in air traffic at Helsinki- Vantaa airport. The results of this research consisted of comparisons questionnaire response to investigated background variables and how the respondents’ answered about the intensity of the stress and their opinion what survey claims. For these facts, and individuals experiencing about the stress, was based on indicators that could allow cross-tabulation application towards to my research objectives. My research queries can be reused and applied in a wide variety of workplace stress research. The potential effects of today's refugee flows for stress are well known. How is this pressure experienced at the border? Does it cause stress reaction and how is it dealt with? These questions have not been answered here or elsewhere. One research in the United States in 2012 investigated the effects of the border guards' emotional abilities on their lives. In Finland the Border Guard participates as the End User in EU’s BODEGA research project which through research aims to find more effectiveness for personnel’s human factors together with developed border control infrastructure. My research and these above-mentioned researches are aimed at developing preventive methods for border security staff to maintain stress and develop supervision of work. My research focused on experiencing and coping with stress in border inspection work and the results are applicable in the border inspection work even today.