Are Police Getting the Mental Health Benefits They Need?

Between responding to violence, consoling victims, patrolling streets, investigating crimes, and keeping communities safe, police officers undertake demanding and dangerous responsibilities daily. The pressures take a toll on their mental health over time. Studies show police have elevated rates of PTSD, depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and suicide compared to the general public due to chronic stress (1).

While many departments have increased counseling services to support officers in crisis, an overlooked area is providing preventative mental health benefits focused on resilience before challenges escalate. Are police getting the comprehensive benefits they truly need? Let’s examine what departments currently offer, where key gaps exist, and how leaders can better support the wellbeing of the brave men and women who serve to protect.

The Mental Health Landscape for Police

Police mental health has recently received more spotlight given protests over use of force and calls for reform. Several concerning statistics highlight risks officers face:

• 19% of officers exhibit PTSD symptoms compared to 3.5% of the public (2)
• 11% of officers experience depression versus 5% of the general population (3)
• 1 in 4 officers deals with problematic drinking habits (4)
• Police die by suicide at a rate 50% higher than civilians (5)

 

Yet seeking mental health treatment remains stigmatized in the macho, suck-it-up police culture. Only 3-5% of at-risk officers pursue counseling (6). Without support, unresolved trauma and depression lead to impaired decision making and misconduct.

While leaders cannot erase the inherent stresses of policing overnight, providing the right benefits demonstrates a commitment to caring for officers as whole people, not just crime-fighting robots.

What Police Departments Offer Now

Many agencies have expanded access to counseling for officers hitting rock bottom. Support typically includes:

• EAP Programs: Employee assistance programs offer free short-term counseling through third parties.
• Peer Teams: Peer support unit officers provide informal counseling after traumatic incidents.
• Paid Treatment Leave: Some agencies provide special paid leave for officers to attend counseling without using vacation time.
• In-House Psychologists: Larger departments employ psychologists to counsel officers confidentially.
• Chaplain Services: Police chaplains are on-call to provide spiritual/emotional support.

These reactive solutions are essential to treat current issues. But just as important is offering preventative benefits focused on early skills-building to strengthen resilience before problems develop.

Preventative Benefits: Where Key Gaps Exist

While more departments now tout “holistic wellness” programs, our survey found significant gaps in preventative mental health benefits for police compared to other industries (7). Key areas needing improvement are:

Mental health training – Only 28% of government employers provide workshops on resilience, coping, and stress management versus 40% of tech companies. And only 37% of police departments offer resilience training specifically compared to the 50% benchmark.

Mental health tools – Just 34% give access to apps or solutions delivering mindfulness, sleep, and anxiety relief versus 49% of the tech industry.

Supportive culture – Only 42% describe their workplace as supportive of mental health compared to 50% across sectors. Stigma persists.

Mental health stipends – A mere 11% provide direct wellness stipends so officers can afford self-care versus 30% in the tech sector.

Mental health leave – Just 21% offer designated mental health days off versus 32% at technology companies.

While counselors are vital for treatment, we can no longer wait for officers to reach crisis before support kicks in. The most caring approach is equipping officers early in their careers with resilience skills through comprehensive preventative benefits.

How Police Leaders Can Improve Mental Health Support

The mental health challenges faced by police didn’t arise overnight, so strengthening support will take time. But leaders concerned about their officers’ wellbeing can drive progress through several strategies:

Make mental health a strategic priority – Leadership must treat officer mental health as a critical agency objective, not just a nicety. Dedicate budget, resources, and oversight.

Normalize seeking help – Challenge old stoic attitudes through awareness campaigns and trainings. Encourage leaders to share their own experiences.

Provide mental health training – Invest in resilience, stress coping, and mindfulness workshops as indispensable skills, not remedial education. Make annual.

Increase mental health staffing – Hire psychologists, counselors, and peer support specialists to meet needs. Reduce counselor-to-officer ratios.

Offer self-care tools – Provide access to mental health apps for mindfulness, sleep, anxiety and access to self-care resources like meditation rooms.

Build supportive leadership – Make emotional intelligence and mental health support core management competencies. Evaluate leaders accordingly.

Fund wellness stipends – Provide direct funding for self-care activities like exercise, healthy eating, recreation, and continuing education.

Allow mental health leave – Permit 1-2 days annually for officers to take time specifically for mental wellbeing without using vacation days.

Partner with mentors – Initiate mentoring programs partnering officers with community volunteers or retirees to build social support and perspective.

While systemic issues perpetuating officer stress must be resolved through major reforms, the above strategies provide a roadmap for leaders to better support the people behind the badge now through preventative mental health benefits.

Restore Our Protectors’ Protective Factors

The responsibilities placed upon law enforcement come with inherent strains and trauma exposures. But letting these pressures damage officers’ health and families is not an inevitable cost of policing. With comprehensive mental health training, tools, and support, officers can cultivate resilience despite the demands they face.

Police leaders set the tone for their departments. When management cultivates a culture facilitating help-seeking, offers evidence-based prevention programming, and views officers as human beings first, officers can better care for communities while also caring for themselves. But it starts at the top. Without the right treatments and preventative benefits, how can we expect officers to be always at their best? The mental health of our protectors deserves protection too.

Incorporating Officer Surveys for Effective Evaluation

To ascertain the effectiveness of mental health benefits for police, leaders must proactively employ Officer Surveys before and after implementation. Prior to introducing mental health benefits, these surveys identify prevalent stressors and gauge officers’ mental health needs. Post-implementation surveys serve as vital tools to assess the impact of mental health benefits, providing insights into their effectiveness and pinpointing areas for improvement. This data-driven approach ensures that police leaders can continually refine and tailor mental health programs to meet the evolving needs of their force, fostering a proactive and supportive approach to officer well-being

Sources:

1. O’Hara, Andrew F., et al. “The Challenges in Mental Health Care of First Responders.” Psychological Services, vol. 13, no. 2, 2016, pp. 197–206.
2. Marmar, Charles R., et al. “Prevalence of Mental Health Disorders in Police Officers.” JAMA Network Open, vol. 4, no. 12, 2021.
3. Fox, Bryanna Hahn, et al. “Estimating PTSD Prevalence in Firefighters.” Journal of Traumatic Stress, vol. 25, no. 6, 2012, pp. 691-694.
4. Lindsay, Vaughn et al. “Alcohol Fueled Violence: The Impact of High Risk Drinking, Anger and PTSD on Police Use of Force.” Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 11, 21 Sept. 2020.
5. Abbot, Caleb, et al. “Mental Health Services in Police Departments.” Public Management, vol. 100, no. 5, 2018, pp. 16-19.
6. Karaffa, Kaitlyn M. “Barriers to Seeking Mental Health Treatment Among Law Enforcement Officers.” Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology, vol. 36, 2021, pp. 348–363.
7. Mental Health Benefits Industry Benchmarking Report. Calm, Oct. 2022.