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In early January, Blue H.E.L.P. — an organization that tracks officer suicides while simultaneously seeking to prevent such tragedies from occurring — issued an announcement stating that in 2018, at least 158 officers died by suicide. This is nine percent more than the total number of line-of-duty deaths resulting from 15 other causes such as felonious assault, patrol vehicle accident, heart attack, and duty-related illness. It is also the third straight year that suicides occurred in greater number than duty deaths. In this podcast segment, Jim and Doug discuss the crisis of officers dying by suicide, and offer some thoughts on ways to better help officers nearing crisis.
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Emotional wellness and suicide prevention for police officers
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7 ways to prevent police suicide by focusing on overall officer well-being
Police health and wellness: 5 myths we must bust
Suffering in silence: Mental health and stigma in policing
4 things police leaders should be doing to stop police suicide
How to launch a successful peer support program
My husband’s suicide: Recognizing predictors of police suicide
Breaking the Silence: Preventing Suicide in Law Enforcement
How to prevent PTSD from leading to police suicide
9 ways for cops to fight mental health stigma
What first responders should seek in mental health clinicians