Police Stress

Continual exposure to sudden life-and-death experiences, human suffering, and the frustration of strictly codified responses to violence, injury, and insult creates a unique set of potentially debilitating psychological stimuli often referred to as “police stress.”

[Page 674]During everyday activities, whether on duty or off, the police officer is exposed to a higher than average number of life-threatening activities that precipitate sudden activation of the fight-or-flight mechanism within the physiology of the human body. Unlike the average citizen, the police officer often does not have the option of flight, which normally provides both escape and relief from the stress of confrontation. Chronic exposure to this accelerated physiological state and the subsequent release of body chemistry designed to stimulate mental acuity and body defense mechanisms has been clinically shown to produce mental health-related disabilities such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and general anxiety disorder. As a result, increased numbers of cases of dysfunctional marital and family relationships, suicides, chemical addictions, and personality disorders are prevalent among police officers.

Additional factors that exacerbate the detrimental effects of police stress upon the officer include poor diet and eating habits stemming from frequent motor patrol assignments, disrupted sleep patterns resulting from around-the-clock shift work, the strict discipline inherent in a paramilitary work environment, and frequent displays of disrespect offered by offender and citizen alike.

An important factor that aggravates the identification of police officers whose work product and quality of life are negatively affected by police stress is an archaic belief that officers with stress-related disorders must be relieved of duty. In recent years, more departments have developed enlightened policies on the management of police stress and the treatment of officers from both a preventative and rehabilitative aspect. Many departments now mandate psychological debriefings or de-stressing sessions after an officer is involved in a high-stress incident, such as an officer-involved shooting (OIS), the loss of a partner, or response to a high-order disaster such as the World Trade Center attacks on September 11, 2001. Many police officers are particularly affected by incidents involving small children who are victims of heinous or brutal crimes.

The life partner of a police officer can be particularly helpful in identifying symptoms of police stress and in making sure that professional treatment is obtained in a timely fashion. Symptoms of mental health issues caused by police stress include nightmares and disturbed sleep patterns, restlessness, avoidance of activities previously enjoyed by the person, withdrawal from social interaction, uncharacteristic outbursts of anger, increase in blood pressure and pulse rate not due to underlying medical conditions, excessive work absences due to nonspecific illnesses, weepiness and melancholy, and an unusual preoccupation with death and dying.

A mental health professional can be very effective in treating police stress-related disabilities. Through the introduction of analysis, cognitive changes, and the use of psychotropic medications, the mental health practitioner can often reverse the ill effects of police-related stress and restore the individual's quality of life to a normal level. The education of police practitioners and those who command police departments is a key factor in the recognition and prevention of new police stress cases.

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