UK (Commonwealth Union) – Psychological work place hazards are extremely high among police forces across the world. When faced with a traumatic incident such as a hostage situation or a death of a colleague, many members of the force usually undergo counselling and get time off.
A UK study of more than 12,000 officers indicate that rates of trauma-induced disorder Complex PTSD (Post-traumatic stress disorder) are worsened by factors like too little time and support, and minimal say on working hours. Increased rates of trauma-related mental health disorders for the UK police forces are partially outcomes of unfavorable working conditions like having too little time, sexual harassment and dealing with hard situations in the absence of support, as indicated by findings in a study from the University of Cambridge.
The upside was that, officers who felt supported by colleagues, and had a sense of engaging in meaningful work, had around half the rates of a form of PTSD as the nation’s average for policing staff.
Researchers of the study stated that the findings indicate that simple enhancements to the working lives of police, such as scheduled periods for support from peers and supervisors, can dramatically lower the rate of psychiatric problems for UK forces.
Sociologists inquired from 1000s of police personnel across the UK in 2018 and saw 12% showing clinical symptoms of Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD), a chronic condition in which repeated trauma exposure leads to social withdrawal, a sense of worthlessness, and being unable to regulate emotions.
Professor Brendan Burchell, the lead author of Cambridge University’s Department of Sociology, said: “Our research shows that the debilitating psychological misery often caused by trauma exposure isn’t an inevitable part of the difficult job of policing, it is exacerbated by poor working conditions.” He further noted that severe austerity cuts since 2010 bringing about a significant lowering in police numbers without lowering the demands of the job inevitably brought further time pressure for existing officers.
