Mental health and the policing context

This chapter examines the question of policing and mental health from two directions. The first section considers mental health among policing professionals. It explains how both the nature of the policing occupation (the stressful and traumatic situations they encounter while fulfilling their duties) and the organisational culture (which includes strenuous workloads, formal inquiries, media scrutiny, and public criticism) leaves the susceptible to stress-related disorders, including depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Research suggests that police have traditionally been disinclined to seek help for such issues for fear of being perceived as weak or unfit for duty.