Throughout American society, it can be agreed upon that many individuals have become desensitized to the word suicide. It is very common to hear the word or see it on the television screen that it has almost no effect on people anymore, because it is now so regularly used. Suicide is a much too popular topic in this day and age, so some begin to block it out, which is similar to how mass shootings seem as if they are normal now; many do not bat an eyelash when they hear the news of yet another massacre. Thousands of American citizens commit suicide each year, and it is the eleventh leading cause of death in the United States. Even celebrities, who a majority of society believe have the “best life” possible and that there is no way they could be depressed, do in fact commit suicide. This goes to show that money does not always equal happiness, as Robin Williams, Kate Spade, Kurt Cobain and Ernest Hemingway all ended their lives, even though they had more than enough money to buy anything they desired. However, this research paper will cover a controversial issue that needs to be brought to light so it can be ended: the stigma of mental health and police suicide. This topic will be discussed thoroughly, regarding the stressors of police work, mental disorders such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and depression, the prevalence and risk of suicide, statistics, the gender it affects most, preventative factors, and more.
Police work is a very strenuous job that requires the most elite to successfully complete a task, whether it is dealing with a domestic dispute, carrying out a traffic stop, responding to a traumatic car accident or getting drugs and guns off of the street. That being said, to say that police work is a highly stressful job is an understatement. In addition, it may have a negative impact, such as suicidal thoughts, if a police officer does not prepare properly and learn how to cope and deal with the issues that are constantly thrown their way. For example, one factor that affects the mental status of police officers is shift work. The sleep disturbances that police officers experience of shift work can lead an officer to become more stressed out while on duty and leave them unable to perform to their highest potential. This can cause physical motor impairment and an effect on judgement and discretion, causing the officer to make poor choices throughout their shift. The circadian rhythm, which has to do with the biochemical and neurological processes in the brain while sleeping, are highly affected due to shift work, which may alter a police officer’s mental state. (Chae 2013).
Regarding night shifts, it has been reported throughout the United States that police officers who work midnights have a higher risk of suicidal thoughts. It has also been reported that the organizational structure of the police force, such as political barriers within the department that prevent the officer from receiving a higher rank or promotion, or even a lack of acknowledgement from higher officials, can lead to suicidal thoughts. This is possible because if the officer has worked hard to try and be the most efficient worker they can be but they are not recognized, or maybe if another officer is recognized over them, then they may have second thoughts about the job and may develop suicidal ideations. Any human who does not get recognized for their hard work could get disheartened and lose stamina, not just police officers. (Chae 2013).
Since the stress of police work is tremendous and affects each police officer differently, mental disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder and depression may develop over time. Traumatizing police work, especially if an officer gets injured while on the job, may lead to a higher risk of post-traumatic stress disorder or depression, and therefore may result in a greater chance of alcohol abuse or suicidal ideations. The time spent away from family could also contribute to the police officer’s depression, as missing out on birthdays, holidays, anniversaries and much more can take a toll on family life and one’s mental health. Just because there are no telltale signs that someone is depressed, like a loss of interest in activities or sadness, does not mean that there are no hidden indicators that a police officer might need mental health help. Older police officers tend to be victims of post-traumatic stress disorder as opposed to their younger coworkers because they have most likely been exposed to more traumatic events. Studies done after the attack on the World Trade Center, as well as random police studies, both proved the same hypothesis that veterans of the police force are more likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, and therefore are more likely to suffer from suicidal thoughts. (Van der Meer 2017).
These days, mental health and suicide are so stigmatized that countless people affected around the United States do not believe in receiving help because they are either too embarrassed, or believe that nobody is capable of helping them. Also, many who have a mental health disorder do not even know they have one, or reject that it is present when any signs are shown, and brush it off as if it is nothing to worry about. However, the problem arises when it is too late, and the individual performs the deadly act to end their life. Specifically regarding police officers, typical adjectives that are used to describe one would be brave, smart, and courageous, and never sorrowful, depressed, or even suicidal. That being said, it may be difficult for the officer to accept that there is help out there since they are constantly being held to such a high standard. Police officers do not need to live with the demons that are in their head daily; they need to know they are not alone in feeling this way and that help is one step away.
Not only is there a stigma behind mental health that many do not talk about, there is also a stigma behind suicide. Because of this, there is not an exact count of how many people of the general population commit suicide, and there is no exact count for police suicide as well. Many departments may hide the fact that one of their officers committed suicide to keep the robust reputation that they have. Others may take a stand against suicide and become proactive about it, making sure that the department has the resources it needs for officers to use in a time of pain or struggling. However, the high rates of police suicide prove that even though departments seek to hire the most qualified candidates who pass the psychological screening before the police academy, mental health issues can still be present and go unforeseen. It is alarming to think that the police suicide rate is higher than the general population rate, because there are far fewer officers than there are people of the United States. (Loo 2003).
The average suicide rate for law enforcement personnel is 18.1 per 100,000 people and the average suicide rate is for the general population is 11.4 per 100,000 people. This could be due to the fact that less than half of people who live in the United States have a gun in their home readily available to them. Officers, on the other hand, have one on their hip throughout the duration of their shift. Spike years, which are years where there is a plethora of suicides among police officers, may throw off the statistic average of police officer suicides, because there may be years where there are no suicides at all. There are also a few biases within the studies of suicide rates, as the national average entails both males and females, whereas men are a majority of the police force. As a result, they are the ones who are most likely to attempt self-harm or commit suicide. (Violanti 2010).
Men and women within the police force have reported comparable levels of post-traumatic stress during trauma-related incidents. However, female officers are more likely to have more stress than their male equivalents during child abuse cases, domestic violence outbreaks, and when dealing with sexual violence victims. Female officers exhibit these emotions because they tend to have more empathy, which result in the high emotional toll they experience. This does not mean that male officers are not sympathetic; they just tend to have a different approach and outlook on certain situations. On the other hand, contrary to the male police officers who report high suicidal ideations during late night shifts, women tend to have lower reports at this time. Since many women strive for an even balance between work life, family life, and social life, as do male officers, midnight shifts allow them to achieve both by preventing a work overload.
By forestalling work from interfering with their home life, female officers are able to continue being the caregivers to their children since many of these parenting roles occur during the daytime. Also, by working the night shifts and avoiding day work, female officers may be able to avoid common obstacles seen within the police department, since it is mostly male dominated, such as sexism, discrimination, or other gender related issues. Avoiding these work hassles can lead female officers to perform to their highest potential and prevent them from being victims of the glass ceiling. Nevertheless, as opposed to male officers, female officers experience higher suicidal ideations during afternoon shifts. The reasoning is not known as to why this happens, but assuming that there are children at home who need love and care, this can be a reason. (Chae 2013).
Generally speaking, there are a myriad of triggers that can lead to suicidal behavior. 90% of people that commit suicide in the United States have a psychiatric condition that is listed in the DSM-4, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition. The most common disorders that are present when suicidal ideations exist are major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder. Because of the differences in each of these mental disorders (whether it is within the general population or a law enforcement officer), the ways of going about preventing suicidal behavior has various approaches. It is proven that 83% of individuals who commit suicide have seen their primary care physician within the year of their death. This data shows that there needs to be more in-depth medical screening of patients who have major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, or another mental health disorder that may lead to suicidal ideations. Some major preventative methods to suicide would be instilling education and awareness classes that are open to the general population, more advanced screening tests on people who are considered high-risk, medication and treatment of diagnosed disorders, regulating access to deadly objects such as firearms, drugs, or alcohol, and changing the way social media portrays suicide. (Mann, Apter, Bertolote 2005).
Understanding why people have mental health issues and suicidal thoughts is the first step to preventing a suicide from happening. Focusing on the youth within schools and the community can help people to understand that they are not alone and that help is always around. On the contrary, education on this may introduce the youth to ideas that they did not know existed, such as drugs, alcohol, and suicide. (Mann, Apter, Bertolote 2005).
The next step that can be taken to prevent suicide is screening, as lack of knowledge from primary care physicians may pertain to a patient’s suicide. Screening processes on youth in general has doubled the known number of high-risk individuals who suffer from depression or another mental disorder, so they can be monitored more frequently and lead in the right direction of treatment from a licensed clinician. (Mann, Apter, Bertolote 2005).
Regarding treatments, 80% of mental disorders are not treated at the time of one’s suicide, so by taking antidepressant medications to mitigate depression or another mood disorder, suicidal ideations can be lessened as well if they are not already present. Psychotherapy, specifically Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), in which a patient changes their thoughts to change their behavior is also a positive element in suicidal prevention. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is normally short term and hands-on, so these actions can benefit a patient in the way that they feel by changing how they process information. (Mann, Apter, Bertolote 2005).
If an individual want to commit suicide, then they will figure out a way to do so. However, preventative actions can be taken so it can be harder for them to carry out this action. Thorough background checks when buying a gun can prevent a mentally ill person from getting a gun easily, and monitoring prescription medication use can benefit in the recovery of someone with suicidal ideations, to name a few examples. Again, there is no promise that these tactics will prevent a suicide, as there are countless ways for someone to end their life, and it may be impossible to stop them from doing it if they are committed. (Mann, Apter, Bertolote 2005).
The media plays a major role in the stigma of mental health and suicide, as it is portrayed on the internet as a solution to end all problems. Celebrities are constantly swarmed by the media if they have a mental health disorder or if they attempted suicide, and society sees these individuals as role models. Nevertheless, the internet is a vast place where information can be accessible in seconds, so tactics to carry out a suicide are only a few clicks away, which makes it difficult to steer people in a direction away from suicide. (Mann, Apter, Bertolote 2005).
In New Jersey, there is a counseling program called Cop2Cop that is a nationally recognized peer support group. It is free, confidential, and available 24/7 for all law enforcement in New Jersey. This helpline has received over 50,000 calls since it was established in 1999. The people who answer the phone are retired police officers and mental health counselors. Having qualified people who have been in the field for some time and can relate to what the person seeking help is saying can make a huge difference. These counselors make a point to listen to what the caller has to say, while determining whether the issue is severe enough for the police officer to seek medical attention. (Chae 2013)
Often times, Cop2Cop has follow up calls for some officers who seek help when the counselor deems it appropriate to check up on their well-being. From a few weeks to many months, the length of time between each follow up calls varies from case to case, which may depend on how close knit the relationship is and whether there is great trust between the police officer and the counselor. Cop2Cop provides many programs for not only law enforcement personnel, but their families as well, such as stress management training and seminars. (Chae 2013)
Like many other studies done on police mental health and suicide, Cop2Cop is being studied vigorously to see if there has been a positive impact on the law enforcement officers of New Jersey due to it. The initial investigation reports that Cop2Cop has had a positive impact on the mental health of officers, and is beginning to end the stigma behind mental health and suicide. (Chae 2013)