Coyle 1

Josephine Coyle
Professor Cassel
English 1201 online
25 October 2016
The Impact of a Career in Law Enforcement on Mental Health and What the Public Can Do to
Support Those Affected
Law enforcement officers do many things for the community. From citing traffic tickets
to protecting citizens in dangerous situations, to solving crimes after the fact, policemen and
other law enforcement officers focus on many different areas to keep the public comfortable and
safe in their home. This care for the community is crucial to a police officers job and can help
him or her recognize the good he or she is doing. The career of a law enforcement officer can
take a destructive toll on his or her mental health, but can be dealt with with the help of the
public. They can do this through awareness or just a community support system.
A career in law enforcement can alter a persons mental health in different ways. Three
main issues policemen face are depression, anxiety, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Although these can all be related, each can affect an officer in different ways. Additionally,
without the support of the public, the field of police psychology will stay insignificant compared
to the support for other career fields. The implementation of psychologists in the field of law
enforcement can help police officers to deal appropriately with what they experience with their
jobs.
One issue police officers may have to deal with in their line of work is depression.
Depression, called Persistent Depressive Disorder by the DSM-V, is classified by a depressed
mood that occurs for most of the day, for more days than not, for at least 2 years (American

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Psychiatric Association, 207). The DSM-V, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders, is a resource used by mental health professionals as it contains a list of each
diagnosable mental disorder along with a description of each. Depression can be a debilitating
disorder and is often linked with other disorders such as anxiety or other stress disorders. This
can stand completely on its own, or symptoms can be amplified due to other mental illnesses or
the environment of the person who has it.
Symptoms of depression can be specific to police officers as well. According to Mark
Bond, who works in the Criminal Justice department at American Military University, certain red
flags should be dealt with when displayed by a police officer. These signs include seclusion,
disciplinary issues within the department, and taking unnecessary risks while out in the field. If
these warning signs are ignored or go unnoticed, there can be devastating results (Bond). Beyond
the effects this may have on an officers personal life, his job can be affected as well. A distracted
police officer in the field can lead to missing critical information or creating dangerous situations
that could have been avoided. A study by the University of Buffalo shows that women working
day shifts are more likely to have suicidal thoughts, while men who work night or afternoon
shifts are more likely to display symptoms of PTSD and depression (Baker).
Anxiety is closely paired with depression, but its effects can be detrimental in different
ways. Anxiety, typically considered Generalized Anxiety Disorder, or GAD, can cause
distractions both in the workplace, and in an individuals personal life. A major symptom of
anxiety is worry. As described by Pamela Kulbarsh of Officer.com, when a person has GAD, the
anxiety is usually not related to any one particular issue, but is more of a general feeling of
worry. Symptoms can include irritability and being quick tempered and quick to react
(Kulbarsh). Other symptoms the DSM-V includes are fatigue, difficulty concentrating, muscle

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disturbance and difficulty sleeping (American Psychiatric Association, 260). Each of these can
take a toll on an individuals work and personal life, but these traits in someone who is supposed
to protect the community can affect more than just the person with the disorder. These traits can
be influential in the field and could lead to rash decisions being made. Without any background
of the officers involved, these rash decisions could be taken as poor choices by the public.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is possibly the most impactful disorder on the mental
health of law enforcement. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, also known as PTSD, was described
by the DSM-V as experiencing a traumatic event, along with showing either a symptom related
to re-experiencing, avoidance, or hyperarousal or any negative symptoms in which the symptom
detracts from the personality. Some foundations consider PTSD an injury as opposed to a
disorder. This is because the stress is caused by an external cause. One way the DSM-V
describes experiencing a traumatic event is the repeated exposure to traumatic events such as the
collection of remains, or crimes against children (American Psychiatric Association, 308)
(Moreno).
Post-Traumatic Stress disorder can affect police officers in a very unique way. Police
officers are subject to repeated traumatic experiences so that the rest of a community does not
have to experience them. However, this repeated exposure to violent crimes or other traumatic
events can hurt a police officers mental health because there is no reprieve from the exposure to
traumatic events. There have been many studies on the effects of PTSD in police officers
including those connecting physical and mental health, along with those that show certain other
correlations between PTSD and lifestyles.
The first study discusses the correlation between a certain trait, alexithymia in this case,
and PTSD. This study, done by scholars of the University of California- San Francisco, shows

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that there is a strong correlation between Alexithymia and PTSD, but it was not statistically
significant. It was, however, usable for predictions of the severity of symptoms of certain people
with different traits of PTSD surrounding 9/11. Alexithymia is described by the study as a
psychological construct characterized by difculty identifying, describing, and/or expressing
emotions and an externally oriented style of thinking. Police were tested for PTSD for this
study using CAPS, a relatively objective test also known as the Clinician Administered PTSD
Scale (McCaslin).
Results of this test showed not only PTSD as it relates to alexithymia, but also general
statistics about who can be affected by this injury. A majority of those affected were married and
had at least two years of higher education. Most of the officers were male and the races of the
officers were distributed to accurately represent those in law enforcement (McCaslin). This
shows that PTSD and other mental stress conditions can affect all kinds of people.
The correlations found in the study were numerous, but some were not considered
statistically significant, so it is not possible to tell if there is a real correlation, or what was found
was just a coincidence. Other correlations, however, were statistically significant. As seen in the
table (see table 3), this study found that the alexithymia scores taken of officers before 9/11 were
positively correlated with PTSD symptoms such as hyperarousal and reexperiencing. Overall it
was found that those with alexithymia prior to 9/11, were more likely to have PTSD symptoms,
even if they were exposed to the same kind of traumatic events as other officers. This study is
important because it addresses the possibilities of police officers getting PTSD. As mentioned in
the discussion of the research, people who have trouble speaking or expressing their emotions
are more likely to experience symptoms of PTSD. These traits could be more common in men

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due to social constructs, and since law enforcement is compiled of mostly men, this can be
relevant in the likelihood of an officer getting PTSD (McCaslin).

(Table 3) This shows the positive correlation between Alexithymia and PTSD in law enforcement officers.

Mccaslin, Shannon E., Thomas J. Metzler, Suzanne R. Best, Akiva Liberman, Daniel S. Weiss, Jeffrey Fagan, and Charles R. Marmar. "Al

A different study by the University of Buffalo also shows that PTSD symptoms in police
officers can also affect their physical health. Dr. David Shucard and his colleagues designed a
study which uses an MRI machine to evaluate the size of certain parts of the brain. The results of
the study showed that officers with greater instances of certain symptoms had certain changes in
the structure of their midbrain. To get results, subjects were shown both positive and negative
stimuli while undergoing an MRI. Then the results of the MRIs were studied and compared to
an MRI of a normal brain. They found that in officers who experienced re-experiencing showed
a more severe reaction to stimuli with negative tones. They also had reduced thalamus,
amygdala, and globus pallidus volumes compared to what would be considered normal. The
results of this study could mean that chronic reexperiencing of traumatic events may result in
volumetric reductions in brain structures (Shucard).

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The effect of PTSD or other mental condition such as depression or anxiety on an

individuals mental and physical health can have long lasting effects. These can lead to exposure
to further change in the brain because of its plasticity. When a brain is harmed or altered in any
way, like it would be after long term exposure to traumatic events, it has the ability to grow and
change itself to function correctly in the world (Kolb).
These studies can help people outside of law enforcement recognize the toll such a career
can take on an individual. Not only do these explain how one might be more inclined to develop
PTSD or other disorders, but they also explain the possible effects these stress conditions on the
mental and physical health of a law enforcement officer.
The public needs to give their support to police departments to help battle these
conditions which affect the lives of police officers. In most departments, a police psychologist is
not considered necessary and is not implemented unless a severe and violent situation has taken
place. According to the American Psychological Association, they only time [officers] have
contact with a psychologist is when their job is on the line (A Psychological Force Behind the
Force). This can be changed if the appropriate steps are taken, and the public considers it
necessary.
Some insist that police psychologists are not imperative because of the cost or because
they consider PTSD to be fake. Another big misconception is that all situations involving
depression, anxiety, or PTSD must be traced back to One Big Event. The Badge of Life looks
to explain and address some of these claims. It explains that the constant exposure to death can
be just as impactful as one traumatic event in a persons life. It also references the suggestion that
PTSD is often faked or not a serious as portrayed. Because PTSD is criticized by the public, it is
automatically put under the skeptical eye of psychologists when they are approached about it.

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This watchfulness makes the injury harder to fake. However, in a situation where the integrity of
the victim of PTSD is in question, he or she must be given the benefit of the doubt. A mental
disorder affecting an officer can lead to complaints or other situations where the officer does not
act in the best way for the community (By Starting at the Top with the Police Chief).
Through programs such as Code9 and Badge of Life, the public can provide support for
police officers and help them get the professional help they need. Badge of Life offers statistics
and plans to help law enforcement officer in their daily lives in addition to coping with any
stresses which result from the job (By Starting at the Top with the Police Chief). Additionally,
Code9 not only offers ideas of how to help support the officers in ones community, but they also
pay for a majority of the programs. This can help many of the communities that do not have the
money for professional psychologists (Code 9 Project - Raising Awareness about PTSD).
It is not difficult to see that law enforcement as a career can affect the way men and
women live their lives. What may be hard to see is the good that comes from these men and
women subjecting themselves to that life to help their community. Without police in each town,
crime and danger could be a regular part of citizens lives. So as repayment for the things police
officers do that go unnoticed, the public can help them in their lives as well.

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Works Cited
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders:
DSM-5. Washington, D.C: American Psychiatric Association.
Baker, Lois. "Researchers Investigate Impact of Stress on Police Officers' Physical and Mental
Health." University at Buffalo. N.p., 25 Sept. 2008. Web. 29 Oct. 2016.
Bond, Mark. "Police Depression: The Silent Killer." In Public Safety. N.p., 03 Sept. 2014. Web.
27 Oct. 2016.
By Starting at the Top with the Police Chief And, Simultaneously, Starting at the Bottom with the
Lowest Ranking Police Officer. The Key Issue Is Not Suicide-it Is. "THE BADGE OF
LIFE - Police Suicide Prevention Program - Badgeoflife.com - Police Suicide Prevention
Program." Badgeoflifecom Police Suicide Prevention Program. N.p., 2016. Web. 10 Oct.
2016.
"Code 9 Project - Raising Awareness about PTSD." Code 9 Project - Raising Awareness about
PTSD. N.p., 2015. Web. 10 Oct. 2016.
Kolb, Bryan, Robbin Gibb, and Terry Robinson. "Brain Plasticity and Behavior." Canadian
Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience (1995): n. pag. Web. 9 Nov. 2016.
Kulbarsh, Pamela. "Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Excessive, Exaggerated, and Chronic
Worry." Officer.com. N.p., 9 May 2012. Web. 28 Oct. 2016.
Langton, Lynn. Women in Law Enforcement. 21 June 2010. Raw data. N.p.
Maguen, Shira, Thomas J. Metzler, Shannon E. McCaslin, Sabra S. Inslicht, Clare Henn-Haase,
Thomas C. Neylan, and Charles R. Marmar. "Routine Work Environment Stress and
PTSD Symptoms in Police Officers." The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease. U.S.
National Library of Medicine, 2009. Web. 10 Oct. 2016.

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Moreno, Denisse. "PTSD: The Hidden Toll of Policing." Epoch Times. Epoch Times, 22 July
2016. Web. 10 Oct. 2016.
NLEOMF. Causes of Law Enforcement Deaths. 18 July 2016. Raw data. N.p.
"A Psychological Force Behind the Force." American Psychological Association. N.p.,
June 2002. Web. 30 Oct. 2016.
PTSD, National Center for. "PTSD: National Center for PTSD." Home. N.p., 3 July 2016. Web.
13 Oct. 2016.
Shucard, J. L., Cox, J., Shucard, D. W., Fetter, H., Chung, C., Ramasamy, D., & Violanti, J.
(2012). Symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder and exposure to traumatic stressors
are related to brain structural volumes and behavioral measures of affective stimulus
processing in police officers. Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, 204(1), 25-31.
doi:10.1016/j.pscychresns.2012.04.006 i
Weisburd, David, Rosann Greenspan, Edwin E. Hamilton, Hubert Williams, and Kellie A.
Bryant. "Police Attitudes Toward Abuse of Authority: Findings From a National Study."
PsycEXTRA Dataset (2001): 1-196. Web.