Law Enforcement Mental Health Essay

661 Words3 Pages
The mental health of a police officer is as important as their physical health. The stresses they experience daily in their jobs put them at a much higher risk than the general population for a multitude of long-term physical and mental health effects. They face unforeseeable conditions, dangers and imperative situations ranking their job as one of the most stressful. They put their lives in danger to protect others but how can they serve and protect when they are mentally hurting? There is no way to predict which officers will develop mental illness or what the trigger is that will set it off. There are certain factors that may increase their risk of developing mental health problems in this profession due to the associated stress inherent to their line of work. These factors can be work related or individual factors. Mental illness affects every aspect of an individual’s life. You can not check mental illness at the door, it goes with you everywhere. Police are exposed to violence, death, homicide, and tragedies on a regular basis. They see things that we would only see on television. A serious car crash, the death of a child, an injury or death of a fellow officer all take a toll on law enforcement officers, sparking a downwards spiral of emotions. Notifying next of kin when…show more content…
Overtime, rotating shift work, excessive paperwork, court appearances all contribute to the wear and tear of an officer. Officers often feel they are the target when testifying in court. Their reputation and their department’s reputation are on the line. Their testimony can make or break a case. They need to be an effective witness or months of hard work can fall by the wayside. Court interferes with sleep, days off, and it is one of the stressful parts of the

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