Medscape (10/9, Anderson, Subscription Publication) reported research suggests that “about a quarter of police officers in one large force report past or present mental health problems.” Included in the study were “434 members of the Dallas Police Department, the ninth largest in the United States.” In response “to a survey, 26% of police officers on the Dallas Police Department screened positive for depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or symptoms of suicide ideation or self-harm.” What’s more, “mental illness rates were particularly high among female officers, those who were divorced, widowed, or separated, and those with military experience.” The findings were published online Oct. 7 in JAMA Network Open. In a comment “on the study for Medscape Medical News, Anthony T. Ng, MD, regional medical director, East Region Hartford Healthcare Behavioral Health Network, and member of the American Psychiatric Association’s Council on Communications, found the study ‘helpful.’”
Related Links:
— Medscape (requires login and subscription)