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Behavioral Health Conditions in Police Officers

Police officers are at an increased risk of negative mental health consequences due to the dangerous nature of their jobs as well as the greater likelihood that they experience critical incidents, environmental hazards, and traumatic events.¹ In a study, about three-fourths of the surveyed officers reported having experienced a traumatic event, but less than half of them had told their agency about it. Additionally, about half of the officers reported personally knowing one or more law enforcement officers who changed after experiencing a traumatic event, and about half reported knowing an officer in their or another agency who had committed suicide.²

Depression

Depression has been reported in police officers. A study following police officers after the 9/11 attacks found a 24.7 percent prevalence of depression, and a 47.7 percent prevalence of both depression and anxiety.³

Stress and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder/Symptoms

In a study following Hurricane Katrina, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was reported in between 7 and 19 percent of a sample of police officers.⁴ After the World Trade Center attack on 9/11, PTSD was reported in 11 percent of police responders, PTSD increased as the level of social support decreased, and the PTSD prevalence was relatively high among those unable to work because of health (34.8 percent) and those with unmet mental health needs (50.7 percent). Additionally, the prevalence was higher in women (15.5 percent) than in men (10.3 percent).⁵ This difference may also be attributable to the social pressures associated with working in a male-dominated profession as well as to women's experiencing more occupational discrimination than their male peers.⁶ In another study, the prevalence of probable PTSD in police officers following the 9/11 attack was 12.9 percent.³

Substance Use

In a study investigating alcohol use in police officers following Hurricane Katrina, there was a significant association between involvement in the hurricane relief efforts and hazardous alcohol.¹ In another study, the average number of alcoholic drinks after Hurricane Katrina increased from two to seven drinks per day.⁴

Suicide/Suicide Ideation

Suicide attempts and ideations were reported in multiple studies. In a literature review, the lifetime prevalence of suicidal ideation in police officers was 25 percent in female officers and 23.1 percent in male officers.⁷ Suicide attempt rates ranged from 0.7 to 55 percent among studies. In a national analysis of law-enforcement suicide, proportionate mortality ratios (PMRs), or the ratio of the death count for an occupation to the expected number of deaths in all occupations combined, were significantly high for all races and sexes combined (all law enforcement - PMR = 169 percent).^8,9 Another study linked strain on the job to suicidal ideation, as well as depression and anger. Officers with burnout showed significantly greater suicide risk, with a 117 percent greater likelihood of suicidal thoughts for officers who reported burnout at work.¹⁰

References

1. Heavey, S., Homish, G.G., Andrew, M.E., McCanlies, E., Mnatsakanova, A., Violanti, J.M., & Burchfiel, C.M. (2015, March). Law enforcement officers' involvement level in Hurricane Katrina and alcohol use. International Journal of Emergency Mental Health, 17(1), 267–273.
2. Fleischmann, M.H., Strode, P., Broussard, B., & Compton, M.T. (2016). Law enforcement officers' perceptions of and responses to traumatic events: A survey of officers completing Crisis Intervention Team training. Policing and Society, 28(2), 149–156. doi: 10.1080/10439463.2016.1234469
3. Bowler, R.M., Kornblith, E.S., Li, J., Adams, S.W., Gocheva, V.V., Schwarzer, R., & Cone, J.E. (2016). Police officers who responded to 9/11: Comorbidity of PTSD, depression, and anxiety 10–11 years later. American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 59(6), 425–436. doi: 10.1002/ajim.22588
4. McCanlies, E.C., Mnatsakanova, A., Andrew, M.E., Burchfiel, C.M., & Violanti, J.M. (2014). Positive psychological factors are associated with lower PTSD symptoms among police officers: Post Hurricane Katrina. Stress & Health, 30(5), 405–415. doi: 10.1002/smi.2615
5. Cone, J.E., Li, J., Kornblith, E., Gocheva, V., Stellman, S.D., Shaikh, A., et al. (2015). Chronic probable PTSD in police responders in the World Trade Center health registry ten to eleven years after 9/11. American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 58(5), 483–493. doi: 10.1002/ajim.22446
6. Jahnke, S.A., Poston, W.S., Haddock, C.K., Jitnarin, N., Hyder, M.L., & Horvath, C. (2012). The health of women in the U.S. fire service. BMC Women's Health, 12, 39. doi: 10.1186/1472-6874-12-39
7. Stanley, I.H., Hom, M.A., & Joiner, T.E. (2016). A systematic review of suicidal thoughts and behaviors among police officers, firefighters, EMTs, and paramedics. Clinical Psychology Review, 44, 25–44. doi: 10.1016/j.cpr.2015.12.002
8. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). (2016). National Occupational Mortality Surveillance (NOMS): Resource and related links. Retrieved February 1, 2024, from https://www.cdc.gov
9. Violanti, J.M., Robinson, C.F., & Shen, R. (2013). Law enforcement suicide: A national analysis. International Journal of Emergency Mental Health and Human Resilience, 15(4), 289–297.
10. Bishopp, S.A., & Boots, D.P. (2014). General strain theory, exposure to violence, and suicide ideation among police officers: A gendered approach. Journal of Criminal Justice, 42(6), 538–548. doi: 10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2014.09.007