The study covered active officers from every rank all over the UK, including operational roles like emergency call handlers and digital image experts.
About two-thirds of those who answered “The Job, The Life” survey said they’ve had mental health problems that came straight from their police work. But almost everyone – around 93% – said they’d still go to work even if they were dealing with issues like stress or depression.
Getting exposed to trauma over and over could also lead to long-lasting physical health problems for police staff. The findings showed people with Complex PTSD symptoms had heart disease at three times the rate of those without it, and double the amount of gut problems and immune system issues such as IBS and arthritis.
Even among the 80% who didn’t have full clinical PTSD or Complex PTSD, half said they felt tired all the time, half felt anxious, and half had trouble sleeping – all in just the past year.
Police Care UK, a charity helping police officers and their families, is pushing for a national plan on mental health in policing today. With more than fifty different police employers across the UK each doing their own thing, they say there’s a bit of a “postcode lottery” when it comes to how trauma is handled and what support’s available.
“There is no comprehensive strategy to tackle the issue of mental health in policing, and that has to change,” said Gill Scott-Moore, Chief Executive of Police Care UK.
“The service has real challenges around recognising and responding to the signs and symptoms of trauma exposure and is heavily reliant upon generic NHS provision that isn’t equipped for the specialist treatment needed,” she said.
Researchers found only 16% of those seeking help turned to their own force for support. Most looked elsewhere on their own-usually medication or counselling. About one in ten tried mindfulness training.
