The challenges of law enforcement work are profound, and now 83% of officers report that their mental health impacts their work, as revealed by the “What Cops Want in 2024: The State of Officer Wellness” survey. Based on a sample of 2,833 law enforcement personnel, this article delves into the data to explore the critical wellness impacts of modern police work and the solutions needed to address them.
The depth of the crisis
The stress of police work manifests in various high-impact ways, with officers reporting the following consequences specifically resulting from their work-related stress:
- 71% struggled with sleep disturbances.
- 50% experienced heightened anger.
- 50% indicated relationship or family issues (such as arguments, tension, or conflicts)
- 39% were affected by depression.
- 36% endured anxiety or panic attacks.
- 35% reported Post-Traumatic Stress, PTSI, or PTSD
- An alarming 11% harbored suicidal thoughts specifically due to work stress.
Furthermore, 16% reported that within the past year, they have experienced thoughts of suicide, devaluing their life, or thinking others would be better off without them, or feeling indifferent to the value of their life. These statistics are particularly meaningful when coupled with recent groundbreaking research revealing that suicidal ideation fluctuates in intensity more rapidly than previously understood, and underscores the need for law enforcement to have on-demand access to high-quality support to help mitigate the inherent risks posed by their work.
It is also important to note that these statistics reflect a range and degree of mental distress far beyond what could be considered normal. For example, the self-reported lifetime prevalence of depression for U.S. adults is approximately 18.4%, less than half of the 39% of law enforcement who self-reported depression specifically due to work stress in the current research.
Unlike the general population, law enforcement personnel are typically psychologically screened before entering their profession. So even though police customarily embark upon their careers armed with strong mental health, our new research indicates that the work of policing takes a heavy toll on the mental health and wellness of those who serve and protect our communities.
Primary stressors identified
To help understand what is driving the police wellness crisis, outlined in the statistics above, law enforcement personnel cite numerous sources of stress specifically tied to their work, including:
- Long or irregular work hours (61%).
- Understaffing and balancing work-life demands (60% each).
- Exposure to traumatic events (58%).
- Cumulative trauma impacts (57%).
- Poor quality of leadership (50%).
Stressors typically do not exist in isolation, but rather stack and interact in a manner that often amplifies challenges while making pathways to solutions more elusive. For example, understaffing can lead to longer and more irregular work hours, which in turn can lead to a greater risk for family conflicts or sleep disturbance, which can worsen symptoms of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress.
Communication, mental wellness resources and support gaps
While 72% of law enforcement professionals believe discussing work-related stress would be beneficial (frequently or sometimes), only 51% actually engage in such discussions, highlighting a gap between need and action.
Access to mental wellness resources continues to be limited nationally, with 53% affirming limited availability, and 12% having no access at all. These discrepancies highlight critical needs which can be addressed with several of the proactive measures and solutions outlined below.
- Research the National Consortium on Preventing Law Enforcement Suicide, which advocates for a multipronged approach to addressing suicide prevention, and has issued recommendations on data and research, organization and systems change, peer support, family support/surviving families and messaging. Furthermore, the Consortium advises agencies implement comprehensive suicide prevention programs that address leadership and culture, access to culturally competent mental health services, peer support, and other factors including the collection of data to help inform program planning, evaluate effectiveness, and drive ongoing improvement. You can utilize these guidelines to identify gaps, opportunities and pathways to strengthening suicide prevention and support at your agency.
- Consider implementing a research-based wellness technology solution. For example, research shows that 72% of agencies utilizing the Cordico Wellness App report that within the past year alone it has provided access to suicide prevention resources or helped prevent an actual suicide. This tool can provide rapid, on-demand access to peer support, culturally competent mental health resources, family support, suicide prevention support, and a wide range of other customized wellness tools backed by police psychologists and other experts, tailored specifically for the wellness needs of law enforcement. Additionally, given that 50% of law enforcement cite poor leadership as a specific work-related stressor, Cordico can help address this challenge as nearly 9 out of 10 agencies that utilize Cordico report that it helps demonstrate support for their personnel.
- Prioritize maintaining a well-trained and strongly staffed peer support team. According to research, peer support is helpful for the large majority of law enforcement personnel who utilize it, and nearly 9 out of 10 would recommend peer support to co-workers in stressful circumstances. Strengthening peer support training, awareness and utilization is critically important to supporting wellness and helping to address suicide risk amongst law enforcement.
- Ensure your agency has access to culturally competent therapists. High-quality mental health professionals are vitally important in addressing issues such as depression, post-traumatic stress, anxiety, suicidal ideation and many other issues that fall outside the scope of peer support intervention. Fortunately, 22% of law enforcement surveyed report engaging in individual counseling within the past 3 years to help manage stress, representing a marked increase in willingness to engage in professional mental health services. The key is to ensure that law enforcement personnel have ready access to skilled therapists who are familiar with law enforcement culture, norms and expectations.
Conclusion
Strengthening wellness in law enforcement is about improving the lives of those who serve, along with their families, and also enhancing the overall effectiveness and integrity of the policing profession as a whole. This is vitally important work. By utilizing data-driven insights, innovative solutions and robust support frameworks, we can build a more resilient and healthy law enforcement community for the future.
