Validating the COP Enhancement Survey

A psychometric evaluation of occupational wellbeing and distress in emergency service and manufacturing employees

Summary:

Michael Swift and Alan Dovey explain the rationale for developing a workplace psychological screening tool, the COP-ES. Their research findings demonstrate that it is a reliable and valid measure of occupational wellbeing and distress in emergency service and manufacturing personnel.

The psychological health of employees has become a central focus of occupational research and practice, with strong evidence linking wellbeing to productivity, job satisfaction and long-term staff retention. Many workers, including those in the emergency services and manufacturing, can be exposed to psychological strain due to routine exposure to trauma, high workloads, physical hazards and chronic stressors. A 2018 meta-analysis suggests that approximately 11% of ambulance personnel meet criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with additional prevalence rates of 15% for depression and anxiety, and 27% for general psychological distress¹…

 

Dr Michael Swift is a health psychologist and senior psychotherapist at Working Minds UK and Swift Psychology.

Alan Dovey is director and consultant psychotherapist at Working Minds UK.

Author: Swift M, Dovey A

Tags anxiety depression mental health ptsd - post traumatic stress disorder stress wellbeing

Occupational Health at Work April/May 2026 (vol. 22/6) pp27-31

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