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Article
Publication date: 21 February 2019

Elizabeth Velazquez and Maria Hernandez

The purpose of this paper is to review current research on police officer mental health and to explore the reasons why police officers do not seek mental health treatment.

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to review current research on police officer mental health and to explore the reasons why police officers do not seek mental health treatment.

Design/methodology/approach

A comprehensive, systematic search of multiple academic databases (e.g. EBSCO Host) were used to identify studies conducted within the USA, identified definitions of first responders, identified the type of duty-related trauma expected by police officers, how influential stigma is amongst the police culture and what current intervention strategies are employed to assist police officer mental health wellness.

Findings

This research was conducted to identify police officer trauma-related mental health and the stigma behind seeking treatment. The research highlights job-related trauma and stress leads to the development of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, substance use disorder and suicide or suicide ideation. The stigma behind seeking mental health treatment is associated with law enforcement organizations and environmental factors. Organizational factors include occupational stress characteristics such as day-to-day of the job and environmental factors such as abiding by social and law enforcement culture ideologies. Further research should be conducted to understand why law enforcing agencies and personnel are unknowingly promoting stigmas.

Originality/value

This is the most current meta-review of research examining the severity of mental health in police officers, the stigma behind acquiring treatment and innovative treatment approaches in police officer mental health. This study will provide a useful resource for those researchers interested in continuing to examine the different aspects of police officer mental health and how to potently approach innovative interventions to help law enforcement personals mental wellness thrive in a field where trauma is experienced daily.

Details

Policing: An International Journal, vol. 42 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1363-951X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 February 2016

Noreen Shafiq, Ioan M. Ohlsson and Paul Mathias

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the predictors of punitive attitudes towards young offenders among police officers. This included an examination of variables such as…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the predictors of punitive attitudes towards young offenders among police officers. This included an examination of variables such as officers’ coping styles, mental health, rank and age. It was predicted that indirect coping styles, mental health difficulties, higher age and higher rank would negatively impact on punitive attitudes towards young offenders. Officers reporting direct coping strategies, low levels of mental health difficulties, lower rank and lower age were expected to have less punitive and more rehabilitative attitudes towards young offenders.

Design/methodology/approach

A sample of 83 police officers and community support officers from the UK completed standardised self-report measures.

Findings

Indirect coping strategies, high levels of mental health difficulties and high rank were all associated with more punitive attitudes, whilst age had no impact.

Research limitations/implications

Results are discussed with regard to their research and real world implications. These include an impact of these findings on the job performance, community safety, approaches to policing, and the well-being of police officers. The importance of mental well-being, direct coping and positive attitudes towards young offenders is indicated in order for police officers to employ more proactive, consistent and fair behaviour with this group, leading to less punitive outcomes for young offenders, as well as improved police-youth relations.

Originality/value

The research findings link mental health, coping styles and rank to officers’ attitudes towards young offenders, which had not been fully examined in the literature previously. Results suggest that mental well-being and direct coping styles may serve as a protective factor against the development of punitive attitudes. This highlights the importance of providing support for mental well-being, as well as training in the areas of effective coping styles and issues surrounding young offenders.

Details

Journal of Forensic Practice, vol. 18 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2050-8794

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 November 2023

Alan Beckley, Joanna Wang and Philip Birch

A central tenet for safer communities is having a healthy police force. This study aims to understand what police forces should and need to be doing to safeguard police officer…

Abstract

Purpose

A central tenet for safer communities is having a healthy police force. This study aims to understand what police forces should and need to be doing to safeguard police officer wellness by examining the existing scientific evidence on police well-being.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on the Scale for the Assessment of Narrative Articles, this paper has adopted a case study approach to examine effective practices and approaches for safeguarding police officer wellness.

Findings

The research presented in this paper yields fours themes, providing contemporary evidence for responding to and safeguarding police officer wellness.

Practical implications

This paper yields several implications for policy and practice. An evidence-based approach to be adopted by policing organisations for dealing with police officer wellness. An improvement to police officer support and prevention of stigma towards those who are suffering from poor mental health. Training for police managers in dealing with police officer wellness. Continuous monitoring and evaluation of police organisation efficacy in dealing with police officer wellness.

Originality/value

Much has been written about police officer mental health and well-being over the past decade, yet arguably, there has been limited attention paid to assessing the evidence and making sense of what this growing volume of research is advocating. This paper seeks to address this deficit in the research and provide a review of the published research with regards to police wellness.

Details

Safer Communities, vol. 22 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1757-8043

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 January 2023

Kenneth M. Quick

This study aims to investigate critical differences between police officer willingness to use and recommend an employee assistance program (EAP) to a peer, including the…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to investigate critical differences between police officer willingness to use and recommend an employee assistance program (EAP) to a peer, including the relationship between officer perceptions of macro-level organizational support and micro-level EAP support.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey of 213 police officers from a large, urban police department in the Northeast United States of America is used to evaluate the relationship between officer perceptions of the EAP and the officers' willingness to use and recommend the EAP to peers. Generalized linear regression models are used to evaluate the moderating effect of perceived organizational support (POS) on perceived EAP support.

Findings

The findings of this study suggest that POS strongly predicts willingness to use the EAP, but POS has no significant relationship with willingness to recommend the EAP. There is evidence that POS moderates the relationship of EAP support on willingness to recommend the EAP to a peer. When POS decreases, the relationship of EAP support with willingness to recommend the EAP to peers becomes stronger.

Research limitations/implications

The current study is limited by the study's focus on only one police department and the department's use of cross-sectional data, which may limit the generalizability of the results to agencies that differ in size and type.

Practical implications

This research has practical implications for those who seek to improve officer receptivity to mental health support and improve the quality of police services provided to the public. The findings demonstrate that improving officer willingness to recommend the EAP to peers may be a more sustainable pathway to addressing officer mental health than willingness to use the EAP considering the current movement toward police reform.

Originality/value

The research unveils significant differences in police officer decision-making between using the EAP and recommending it to a peer. The research also adds empirical evidence to existing research on the role of POS in policing and the altruistic, peer-focused nature of the police subculture.

Details

Policing: An International Journal, vol. 46 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1363-951X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 December 2020

Lesley J. Bikos

This study will provide a preliminary, general overview of Canadian police officers' perception of stigma toward mental illness in their workplace culture and its impacts.

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Abstract

Purpose

This study will provide a preliminary, general overview of Canadian police officers' perception of stigma toward mental illness in their workplace culture and its impacts.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a mixed methods approach with two nationwide datasets: a self-report survey (N = 727) and 116 semi-structured interviews with police officers from 31 police services. Results are grounded in theories of stigma, masculinities and organizational culture.

Findings

Results indicate that most officers believe stigma toward mental illness in their workplace remains, despite senior management messaging and program implementation. Reporting mental illness was often seen as high risk, both personally and professionally. Policewomen, constables and those on leave reported statistically significant higher levels of perceived stigma and risk. Features of traditional masculinity were commonly reported, influencing the way individuals viewed themselves (self-stigma) and organizational response (structural stigma). Those with lived experience reported the highest levels of self and structural stigmatization, which often negatively impacted their recovery.

Originality/value

This study strengthens our understanding of how organizational culture and structure combine to contribute to the persistent presence of stigma in some Canadian police services (with implications for male-dominated occupations generally). Gender, rank, years of service and lived experience are additional areas of limited scholarship addressed by this study. The findings have important implications for effective program and policy evaluation and development.

Details

Policing: An International Journal, vol. 44 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1363-951X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 February 2018

Oi Byung Park, Hyuk Im and Chongmin Na

Drawing on survey data from South Korean police officers, the purpose of this paper is to explore the mediation effects of coping self-efficacy and social support in the…

Abstract

Purpose

Drawing on survey data from South Korean police officers, the purpose of this paper is to explore the mediation effects of coping self-efficacy and social support in the relationship between the impact of traumatic events and resilience. Additionally, the moderation effects were assessed to examine how this relationship varies by the state of police officers’ mental health.

Design/methodology/approach

Both multiple mediation and multiple group models within the structural equation modeling framework were adopted to assess the proposed mediating and moderating effects.

Findings

Traumatic events affect resilience not just directly but also indirectly through mediating factors such as coping self-efficacy and social support. These patterns are more pronounced in the high-risk mental health group than in the normal group.

Practical implications

If exposure to traumatic events were an unavoidable aspect of police work, helping officers build resilience as a general capacity to overcome stressful situations would be an effective strategy to prevent many negative consequences associated with the traumatic events. This study examined specific causal mechanisms linking the impact of traumatic events to resilience to better understand the process of developing resilience among police officers.

Originality/value

Instead of further examining the relationship between impact of traumatic events and other physical and mental outcomes, this study attempted to expand the current literature by identifying important mediating and moderating mechanisms that reduce the negative influences of traumatic events on resilience.

Details

Policing: An International Journal, vol. 41 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1363-951X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 18 April 2023

Mu He, Jiahui Lu, Juliet Honglei Chen and Kwok Kit Tong

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between spirituality, including religious spirituality (i.e. supernatural beliefs) and secular spirituality (i.e. social beliefs)…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between spirituality, including religious spirituality (i.e. supernatural beliefs) and secular spirituality (i.e. social beliefs), and mental health among police trainees.

Design/methodology/approach

Participants in this study were police trainees of a police academy. An online survey was conducted to measure spirituality and mental health among these police trainees. The association between spirituality and mental health was analyzed using hierarchical linear regression and hierarchical logistic regression with demographic variables (i.e. gender and age) controlled for.

Findings

The results revealed that the police trainees with stronger secular spirituality tended to have better general mental health. Higher levels of secular spirituality were significantly associated with lower levels of mental illness risk and suicidal ideation. By contrast, religious spirituality was not significantly related to police trainees' mental health.

Originality/value

The present study is the first to empirically investigate the relationship between spirituality and mental health among police trainees. The findings may be enlightening for future research on the mental health of police officers and trainees, and provide novel perspectives and pragmatic implications for the development of spirituality-based prevention strategies and intervention programs for enhancing the mental health and well-being of the police.

Details

Policing: An International Journal, vol. 46 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1363-951X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 18 October 2023

Karen Goodall, Zara P. Brodie, Kirsty Deacon, Kimberly Collins and Karri Gillespie-Smith

Knowledge about the prevalence and impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) is pivotal to trauma-informed approaches, yet the impact of ACEs training is rarely investigated…

Abstract

Purpose

Knowledge about the prevalence and impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) is pivotal to trauma-informed approaches, yet the impact of ACEs training is rarely investigated. This study reports a qualitative investigation of police perceptions of ACEs training in relation to conceptualisations of ACEs and trauma-informed working, practical applications of ACE knowledge and service-level support.

Design/methodology/approach

Four focus groups were conducted with 29 police officers, who had participated in an ACEs-awareness training. Based on the qualitative data, themes were generated using reflexive thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke, 2019).

Findings

Analysis generated seven themes, conceptualised into three domains of conceptual understanding, police culture and operationalising ACEs.

Research limitations/implications

The sample is limited to Scottish police officers and is ethnically non-diverse. Further evaluation of higher quality interventions is warranted.

Practical implications

The study highlighted that a lack of conceptual framework, officer concerns and police culture may present barriers to officers incorporating ACEs knowledge into their day-to-day work. Future trainings should address these issues to achieve maximum benefits.

Originality/value

To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first in-depth qualitative study of police officers' perceptions of ACEs training. Focus groups facilitated the expression of cultural norms. The results provide insight into tailoring trauma-informed interventions in police in future, as well as raising broader service-level issues.

Details

Policing: An International Journal, vol. 46 no. 5/6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1363-951X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 June 2021

Garth den Heyer

The purpose of this research was to examine which factors increase the risk of post-traumatic stress in police officers to assist with identifying strategies that will minimize…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this research was to examine which factors increase the risk of post-traumatic stress in police officers to assist with identifying strategies that will minimize its occurrence.

Design/methodology/approach

This study of constabulary and non-constabulary members of the New Zealand Police has been based on an 80-question electronic survey, which was sent to all serving, resigned and retired members of the New Zealand Police Association, which number approximately 18,000. The survey included a series of questions that measured the post-traumatic stress that participants experienced.

Findings

Variables associated with post-traumatic stress were examined using logistic regression modeling techniques. The study found that post-traumatic stress was prevalent among serving, resigned and retired police members and exposure to trauma, especially prolonged exposure, was significantly associated with post-traumatic stress. More than 49% of participants were found to have some post-traumatic stress symptoms and more than 14% of participants indicated a presumptive clinical diagnosis of post-traumatic stress.

Research limitations/implications

The limitations of the research included not include questions relating to the Social Provisions Scale (SPS) and General Health Questionnaire, nor did it include police officer recruits. A further limitation was that it was a cross-sectional study.

Originality/value

An understanding as to which variables influence or increase post-traumatic stress disorder is important for police officers and the police institution. The findings from this study indicate that exposure to trauma is strongly associated with high levels of post-traumatic stress, while good sleep and relaxation decrease the influence of such variables.

Details

Policing: An International Journal, vol. 44 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1363-951X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 September 2023

Arooba Chaudhary, Amna Umer Cheema, Labiba Sheikh and Talat Islam

This study investigates how compulsory citizenship behavior (CCB) restricts police employees from fulfilling their family responsibilities [i.e. work–family conflict (WFC)] and…

Abstract

Purpose

This study investigates how compulsory citizenship behavior (CCB) restricts police employees from fulfilling their family responsibilities [i.e. work–family conflict (WFC)] and affects their psychological health. The authors also examined putting family first (PFF) as a conditional variable on the association between CCB and WFC.

Design/methodology/approach

This quantitative study collected data from 341 police employees on convenience basis. Further, the authors tackled the issue of common method bias (CMB) by collecting data in two waves.

Findings

The data were analyzed through structural equation modeling (SEM), and the result revealed that WFC mediates the association between CCB and police employees' psychological health. In addition, the authors noted that individuals high in PFF were less likely to experience WFC in the presence of CCB.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the scant literature on police employees' psychological health. Specifically, this study is the first to investigate the mediating role of WFC between CCB and psychological health with the boundary condition of PFF.

Details

International Journal of Public Sector Management, vol. 36 no. 4/5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0951-3558

Keywords

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