ATTACHMENT AND COPING STRATEGIES AS PREDICTORS OF MENTAL OVERLOAD AMONG MEMBERS OF THE SECURITY SERVICES OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC

The aims of the present study are three-fold. Firstly, to investigate the use of different attachment and coping strategies among members of the security services of the Czech Republic, and explore the level of experienced mental overload. Secondly, to examine the relationship between the constructs employed in the study. In considering theoretical background and previous research (Janke & Erdmann, 2002; Johnstone & Feeney, 2015; Mikulincer & Shaver, 2012) we expect a negative relationship between positive coping strategies and experienced mental overload, but a positive association between negative coping strategies and experienced mental overload. Thirdly, to explore the incremental validity of hyperactivation and deactivation strategies over and above demographics and coping strategies in predicting mental overload. Both attachment and coping strategies were averagely used by the subjects of our study, while the mental overload was somewhat lower than the norm. Our study shows that the attachment strategies of hyperactivation and deactivation were superior predictors of mental overload. The results suggest that the construct of attachment strategies is more important in predicting workplace overload, compared to negative coping.