Julie Cerel1, Blake Jones1, Melissa Brown1, David A Weisenhorn2, Kyra Patel3. 1. College of Social Work, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA. 2. Family and Consumer Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA. 3. College of Public Health, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To examine occupational and personal suicide exposure among Law Enforcement Officers (LEOs) and related mental health outcomes. METHODS: Law Enforcement Officers (N = 813) completed an online survey about their suicide exposure, whether scenes stayed with them, and current symptoms of depression, anxiety, PTSD, and suicidal ideation. RESULTS: Almost all participants (95%) had responded to at least one suicide scene with an average of 30.90 (SD = 57.28) career suicide scenes and 2.17 in the last year (SD = 4.11). One in five (22%) reported a scene that they cannot shake or have nightmares about, and 42.5% reported one scene that stayed with them. Almost three fourths (73.4%) knew someone personally who had died by suicide. There was a significant association between high levels of occupational exposure to suicide and behavioral health consequences including PTSD, persistent thoughts of a suicide scene, and the inability to shake a scene. The inability to shake a scene and having a scene stick with them was associated with increased symptoms of depression, anxiety, PTSD, and suicidal ideation. CONCLUSIONS: LEOs experience a tremendous amount of exposure to suicide scenes and also have personal exposure. There is a need for training to mitigate the effect of these multiple traumas on their mental health.
OBJECTIVE: To examine occupational and personal suicide exposure among Law Enforcement Officers (LEOs) and related mental health outcomes. METHODS: Law Enforcement Officers (N = 813) completed an online survey about their suicide exposure, whether scenes stayed with them, and current symptoms of depression, anxiety, PTSD, and suicidal ideation. RESULTS: Almost all participants (95%) had responded to at least one suicide scene with an average of 30.90 (SD = 57.28) career suicide scenes and 2.17 in the last year (SD = 4.11). One in five (22%) reported a scene that they cannot shake or have nightmares about, and 42.5% reported one scene that stayed with them. Almost three fourths (73.4%) knew someone personally who had died by suicide. There was a significant association between high levels of occupational exposure to suicide and behavioral health consequences including PTSD, persistent thoughts of a suicide scene, and the inability to shake a scene. The inability to shake a scene and having a scene stick with them was associated with increased symptoms of depression, anxiety, PTSD, and suicidal ideation. CONCLUSIONS: LEOs experience a tremendous amount of exposure to suicide scenes and also have personal exposure. There is a need for training to mitigate the effect of these multiple traumas on their mental health.
Authors: Silvana Maselli; Antonio Del Casale; Elena Paoli; Maurizio Pompili; Sergio Garbarino Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2022-05-12 Impact factor: 4.614