Helping the helpers: A scoping review of mental health programming for police officers


Adam Vaughan, University of Regina

Police officers are routinely exposed to unique work-related stressors, including potentially psychologically traumatic events. Exposure to stressors may result in an increased risk for developing post-traumatic stress injury (PTSI) which encompasses a range of adverse psychological outcomes, including but not limited to: substance abuse, burnout, suicidal thoughts and behaviours, depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, moral injury, and post-traumatic stress disorder. The current knowledge of PTSI in police officers often highlights that prevalence in policing populations often exceeds that of the general population. Consequently, the mental health of police officers has become a priority for all levels of government, policing organizations, professional associations, experts, and advocates alike. A great range of interventions, including programs, services, therapies, and policies, have emerged to protect the mental wellness of police officers. Unfortunately, the theoretical foundation and empirical evidence to support these initiatives is often lackluster or completely absent. The uncertainty regarding how to best navigate diverse programs and services without a clear, coordinated approach leaves decision-makers relying on anecdotal evidence and market pitches based on testimonials alone. To improve sectoral capacity, funders have recently invested millions of dollars in research addressing PSP mental health and suitable interventions. As a result, the quantity and quality of research in this field has increased exponentially in recent years. The objective of the present study is to explain the growing body of programing evidence. More specifically, the current study identifies and catalogues the existing empirical research on psychosocial interventions designed to protect and address the mental health of police officers across their career continuum. Structured literature reviews are a useful research tool as they allow researchers to summarize and disseminate research findings to policymakers, practitioners, and knowledge consumers. Scoping reviews (a type of structured literature review) are particularly valuable to decision-makers when a problem is understood (in the case of police officers, the evidence-base on prevalence has been well documented) but the solutions are not. A scoping review aims to identify knowledge gaps, determine what types of evidence are available, discover unknown aspects of a problem or concept, and build an understanding of how research is conducted. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) statement, a scoping review will be completed. Inclusion criteria for the study includes 1) peer-reviewed publications, 2) published within the previous 20 years, 3) published in English language, 4) police officers are the primary research participant, 5) intervention or program was scientifically evaluated. Exclusion criteria will also be included in this study. Preliminary results indicate that the volume of publications has increased considerably in the previous two decades. Much of the research evidence that is generated emerges from North America sources though a considerable volume of evidence is emerging from Australia and the United Kingdom. In comparison to police recruits and retired police officers, the vast majority of the evidence focuses on employed/active duty police officers. Lastly, the majority of studies highlight a heavy emphasis on “upstream” proactive or health promotion programs (e.g., mindfulness programs). A smaller subset of studies (e.g., exposure-based treatment) are designed for “downstream” or police officers who have already been exposed to PTSI. The evidence base for the spectrum of interventions is mixed, with some interventions supported by high-quality evidence-based on synthesis of multiple studies and a number of emerging approaches that will require additional studies to determine their effectiveness more conclusively. Additional work is needed to address less well-studied populations such as police officers who are just starting (or completing) their careers, families and friends, occupational groups, and members of equity groups.

Non-presenting authors: Kathy McNutt, University of Regina; Jade Anderson, University of Regina

This paper will be presented at the following session: