Psychiatric Disability in Law Enforcement Officers

Abstract

Law enforcement officers all across the world are exposed to violence, confrontation, and traumatic incidents. They regularly witness death and suffering and are at risk of personal injury. Psychiatric sequelae include an increased risk for trauma-related symptoms, depression, alcohol-use disorders, and stress-related medical conditions. Law enforcement officers have been applying for early disability retirement pensions at an increased rate for stress-related psychiatric and medical conditions. As a result, law enforcement agencies are prematurely losing valuable resources, officers with training and experience. Departments have become proactive in trying to address mental health issues to prevent psychiatric disability by implementing employee wellness plans and stress reduction interventions. Programs have been developed to mitigate the effects of stress on law enforcement personnel. Many law enforcement agencies have developed strategies to encourage early confidential referral for psychiatric treatment. They utilize peer support groups and employee assistance programs and develop alliances with mental health professionals. When these approaches fail, a fitness for duty process can be used to identify impairment in work functioning due to psychiatric factors with the prospect of later returning the officer to full duty. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Predictors of Outcome and Residual Symptoms Following Trauma‐Focused Psychotherapy in Police Officers With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

“…Lifetime heavy alcohol use was associated with neither baseline PTSD severity nor PTSD symptom reduction during treatment. Of note, only 17.1% of our sample reported lifetime heavy alcohol use, which has been shown to be increased amongst police officers (Price, ). Underestimation and underreporting are a common problem in assessing drinking levels, particularly in police officers and others who may be concerned about damaging their careers by disclosing current alcohol use, even with stringent safeguards and assurances of confidentiality, and mental health stigma may play a role (Ballenger et al., ; Haugen, McCrillis, Smid, & Nijdam, ).…”

“…Underestimation and underreporting are a common problem in assessing drinking levels, particularly in police officers and others who may be concerned about damaging their careers by disclosing current alcohol use, even with stringent safeguards and assurances of confidentiality, and mental health stigma may play a role (Ballenger et al., ; Haugen, McCrillis, Smid, & Nijdam, ). Also, police officers with known alcohol use disorders are likely to be referred to specialized treatment facilities (Price, ).…”

“…In addition, we did not assess the possible influence of psychobiological and neuropsychological variables known to affect change in PTSD symptoms during treatment (Nijdam, Van Amsterdam, Gersons, & Olff, ; Nijdam, de Vries, Gersons, & Olff, ) in the current study. In first responders, broader work‐related factors (Price, ), such as lack of social and organizational support (Skogstad et al., ), and other context related factors, such as exposure to major catastrophes (Neria, DiGrande, & Adams, ), may increase risk of persistent PTSD and thereby negatively influence treatment response. Future studies are needed to examine these potential influences within this population.…”

“…Not only does PTSD bring about suffering for the individual, it also influences the private (Davidson, Berah, & Moss, ) and work environments. Poor work performance due to PTSD symptoms is of special concern for police officers, who are required to be alert to protect the safety of others (Price, ).…”

Anxiety, depression symptoms, and physical activity levels of eutrophic and excess-weight Brazilian elite police officers: a preliminary study

“…Excessive and exhausting occupational stress can trigger psychological disturbances, negatively impact mental health, and, consequently, professional performance of police officers. Price 15 pointed out that police officers across the world are subjected to traumatic incidents and later psychiatric consequences, including an increased risk for stress-related medical conditions and depression.…”